This month, Stella Artois is supporting the UK red carpet premiere of Sightseers, a pitch black comedy which documents one couple’s tempestuous journey across the British Isles in their beloved Abbey Oxford caravan.
The night which will see the country’s number one premium lager brand* partner with Studiocanal and Picturehouse Cinemas, also includes an exclusive pre-drinks reception for all guests. Stella
Artois’ support for the film is part of an established heritage which celebrates the art of film making. The screening is the fourth instalment of a series of events supported by the Stella Artois bursary scheme, which has been set up to support stand-out film events in partnership with Picturehouse Cinemas.
The exclusive premiere will take place at the London Transport Museum on Monday 26th and movie enthusiasts can enter the competition via the Stella Artois UK Facebook page – the online home of the Stella Artois Cannes Cinema Club,...
The night which will see the country’s number one premium lager brand* partner with Studiocanal and Picturehouse Cinemas, also includes an exclusive pre-drinks reception for all guests. Stella
Artois’ support for the film is part of an established heritage which celebrates the art of film making. The screening is the fourth instalment of a series of events supported by the Stella Artois bursary scheme, which has been set up to support stand-out film events in partnership with Picturehouse Cinemas.
The exclusive premiere will take place at the London Transport Museum on Monday 26th and movie enthusiasts can enter the competition via the Stella Artois UK Facebook page – the online home of the Stella Artois Cannes Cinema Club,...
- 11/19/2012
- by Allan Ford
- Filmofilia
At the pinnacle of the band’s critical and financial success, the decision to lay LCD Soundsystem to rest was and remains a conundrum. James Murphy, the creative mind behind the band, started making music under the LCD guise in his 30s with no expectations other than to have some fun, but when his dance-centric tunes started to catch the public ear, he decided to form a band that could perform his songs live. Years later, putting a massive bookend on the project, Murphy and the crew booked Madison Square Garden for their final show. With the Sundance preemed Shut Up And Play The Hits, directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern documented not only LCD Soundsystem’s final live performance, but managed to construct a highly conflicted portrait of Murphy over the 48 hours prior to the event. The question isn’t whether or not his final show will be a success,...
- 10/16/2012
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
In recent weeks, rumors have surfaced that former LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy will be producing albums for both the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Arcade Fire.
Fortunately or unfortunately, those rumors are not true.
In an interview with HuffPost Entertainment, Murphy -- who is promoting his involvement in Canon's Project Imaginat10n -- said he is definitely not producing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' album, and is "not necessarily" producing Arcade Fire's next disc.
After a video emerged of Murphy and Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner playing around in the studio, a number of sites speculated that, in the words of Fuse's Araceli Cruz, "a new Yyy's album is in the works produced by the master himself."
But Murphy says the studio visit is as far as things went. "I just did a little fun stuff," Murphy said. "Nothing really big; I don't have time and they don't have time.
Fortunately or unfortunately, those rumors are not true.
In an interview with HuffPost Entertainment, Murphy -- who is promoting his involvement in Canon's Project Imaginat10n -- said he is definitely not producing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' album, and is "not necessarily" producing Arcade Fire's next disc.
After a video emerged of Murphy and Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner playing around in the studio, a number of sites speculated that, in the words of Fuse's Araceli Cruz, "a new Yyy's album is in the works produced by the master himself."
But Murphy says the studio visit is as far as things went. "I just did a little fun stuff," Murphy said. "Nothing really big; I don't have time and they don't have time.
- 10/8/2012
- by Kia Makarechi
- Huffington Post
Prometheus; Rock of Ages; Fast Girls; Shut Up and Play the Hits
In the wake of the absurd levels of hype (both authorised and otherwise) that preceded its long-awaited cinema release, it was perhaps inevitable that Prometheus (2012, Fox, 15) should have been judged a let-down by so many hardcore fans, going from the most anticipated to the most disappointing film of the year in the space of its opening weekend. Hopefully now that the brouhaha has subsided and the promotional caravan has left town it's possible for viewers to see the movie for what it is, rather than what they wanted it to be. In an age of machine-tooled, head-banging franchise fantasy fodder, it's good to find an unashamedly grandiloquent sci-fi flick with big ideas and foolhardy ambitions, even if only some of them are realised. In the words of ultimate space-trooper Buzz Lightyear, it may not be flying but it's certainly falling with style.
In the wake of the absurd levels of hype (both authorised and otherwise) that preceded its long-awaited cinema release, it was perhaps inevitable that Prometheus (2012, Fox, 15) should have been judged a let-down by so many hardcore fans, going from the most anticipated to the most disappointing film of the year in the space of its opening weekend. Hopefully now that the brouhaha has subsided and the promotional caravan has left town it's possible for viewers to see the movie for what it is, rather than what they wanted it to be. In an age of machine-tooled, head-banging franchise fantasy fodder, it's good to find an unashamedly grandiloquent sci-fi flick with big ideas and foolhardy ambitions, even if only some of them are realised. In the words of ultimate space-trooper Buzz Lightyear, it may not be flying but it's certainly falling with style.
- 10/6/2012
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
On 2nd April 2011, LCD Soundsystem played its final show at Madison Square Garden. LCD frontman James Murphy (see our interview with the man himself here) made the conscious decision to disband one of the most celebrated and influential bands of its generation at the peak of its popularity, ensuring that the band would go out on top with the biggest and most ambitious concert of its career. The instantly sold out, near four-hour extravaganza did just that, moving the thousands in attendance to tears of joy and grief, with New York magazine calling the event “a marvel of pure craft” and Time magazine lamenting “we may never dance again.” The gig saw LCD supported by post-punk group Liquid Liquid as well as a handful of special guests including The Juan MacLean and members of Arcade Fire and Hot Chip.
Now we’re offering you the chance to win one of three copies of the DVD!
Now we’re offering you the chance to win one of three copies of the DVD!
- 10/4/2012
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
UK gets first 18-cert chart-topper for two years, but new entrants and existing titles alike wilt in the heat
The winner: the weather
Sunny weather in September is always a particular challenge for cinemas, as audiences tend to consider that this may be the last chance of the year to enjoy the sun, and are not going to pass it up. Arriving at the end of a summer that's had more than its fair share of rainfall, the sunshine proved an irresistible attraction for most of us, with any cinema plans put on hold until another, greyer day. Despite the arrival of some significant cinematic attractions, box-office fell 42% from the previous weekend, and overall the frame was the third worst of the past year.
Emerging the winner of a thin field with £1.05m, Dredd was able to claim bragging rights, the first 18-certificate film to top the chart since 2010. But...
The winner: the weather
Sunny weather in September is always a particular challenge for cinemas, as audiences tend to consider that this may be the last chance of the year to enjoy the sun, and are not going to pass it up. Arriving at the end of a summer that's had more than its fair share of rainfall, the sunshine proved an irresistible attraction for most of us, with any cinema plans put on hold until another, greyer day. Despite the arrival of some significant cinematic attractions, box-office fell 42% from the previous weekend, and overall the frame was the third worst of the past year.
Emerging the winner of a thin field with £1.05m, Dredd was able to claim bragging rights, the first 18-certificate film to top the chart since 2010. But...
- 9/11/2012
- by Charles Gant
- The Guardian - Film News
Ron Howard is excited. On the day HuffPost Entertainment spoke with the Oscar-winning director, Howard was promoting a new contest for Cannon that finds him playing mentor to Eva Longoria, Biz Stone, Jamie Foxx, Georgina Champman and James Murphy. Of course, that didn't stop an energetic Howard -- who speaks in polite, clipped sentences that come in bursts -- from going off on some tangents.
Not that you can blame him: Howard is currently editing "Rush," working on the much-anticipated return of "Arrested Development" and preparing to sift through hours of footage from Jay-z's inaugural Made In America music festival, from which he and longtime collaborator Brian Grazer will carve a documentary.
And then there's the contest. Cannon has recruited Howard and the aforementioned crop of over-achievers (aside from the actors, Stone founded Twitter, Chapman is Marchesa's designer and Murphy just dissolved LCD Soundsystem out of a want for...
Not that you can blame him: Howard is currently editing "Rush," working on the much-anticipated return of "Arrested Development" and preparing to sift through hours of footage from Jay-z's inaugural Made In America music festival, from which he and longtime collaborator Brian Grazer will carve a documentary.
And then there's the contest. Cannon has recruited Howard and the aforementioned crop of over-achievers (aside from the actors, Stone founded Twitter, Chapman is Marchesa's designer and Murphy just dissolved LCD Soundsystem out of a want for...
- 9/11/2012
- by Kia Makarechi
- Huffington Post
There are many things is this world which deep down, I still don’t really understand. Things like, how do planes stay in the air? How does electricity actually work? And just how has June Sarpong forged a career? Few things are as puzzling to me though as the longevity of Adam Sandler’s movie career. He had some decent comedies early on, Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer spring to mind, and Punch-Drunk Love isn’t without its appeal, but since around 2004, he has a seemingly unparalleled run of misfiring duds. 50 First Dates, Spanglish, The Longest Yard, Click, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry , Funny People, Grown Ups, Just Go With It and Jack and Jill. I know somebody must find these movies funny, else they wouldn’t all make a decent return on investment and thus keep getting made, but personally, I just don’t get it.
- 9/9/2012
- by Rob Keeling
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Anna Karenina (12A)
(Joe Wright, 2012, UK/Fra) Keira Knightley, Kelly Macdonald, Jude Law, 130 mins
Bringing period drama up-to-date, Wright's radical reinterpretation of Tolstoy's tragedy stages the action almost entirely in a theatre – backstage areas, red curtains and all. It's a smart framing device for the Imperial Russia on display, even if the stylisation puts emotion at a slight remove, not helped by the love-or-loathe leads. But it's still a sight to behold, with rich colours, doll's-house sets and costumes to die for (spoiler alert!).
Dredd (18)
(Pete Travis, 2012, UK) Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey, Rakie Ayola. 95 mins
Aiming to please old 2000Ad fans rather than convert new ones, this post-apocalyptic sci-fi has all the violent justice and jutting-chin action you'd want, with some visual flourishes to make up for a straightahead plot.
Lawless (18)
(John Hillcoat, 2012, Us) Tom Hardy, Shia Labeouf, Guy Pearce. 116 mins
Cops, gangsters and a family of moonshine...
(Joe Wright, 2012, UK/Fra) Keira Knightley, Kelly Macdonald, Jude Law, 130 mins
Bringing period drama up-to-date, Wright's radical reinterpretation of Tolstoy's tragedy stages the action almost entirely in a theatre – backstage areas, red curtains and all. It's a smart framing device for the Imperial Russia on display, even if the stylisation puts emotion at a slight remove, not helped by the love-or-loathe leads. But it's still a sight to behold, with rich colours, doll's-house sets and costumes to die for (spoiler alert!).
Dredd (18)
(Pete Travis, 2012, UK) Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey, Rakie Ayola. 95 mins
Aiming to please old 2000Ad fans rather than convert new ones, this post-apocalyptic sci-fi has all the violent justice and jutting-chin action you'd want, with some visual flourishes to make up for a straightahead plot.
Lawless (18)
(John Hillcoat, 2012, Us) Tom Hardy, Shia Labeouf, Guy Pearce. 116 mins
Cops, gangsters and a family of moonshine...
- 9/7/2012
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
For the first time ever, fans walked the red carpet on the web and took part in a Google+ Hangout with electropop group LCD Soundsystem at the premiere of their new concert film Shut Up and Play the Hits.
The Google+ Hangout team streamed a live Q&A session, hosted by Radio 1's Edith Bowman, in which the band answered questions from fans live from the world premiere of their documentary.
Ahead of the Q&A session, Google, Pulse Films and Dfa Records invited fans to submit their questions.
The band's frontman James Murphy and the film's directors Will Southern and Dylan Lovelace joined Edith Bowman in the cinema to participate in the Q&A while the rest of the band tuned in from New York City via the Hangout.
The event was the first of its kind linking a film premiere through Google+ to other cinemas and fans from across the globe.
The Google+ Hangout team streamed a live Q&A session, hosted by Radio 1's Edith Bowman, in which the band answered questions from fans live from the world premiere of their documentary.
Ahead of the Q&A session, Google, Pulse Films and Dfa Records invited fans to submit their questions.
The band's frontman James Murphy and the film's directors Will Southern and Dylan Lovelace joined Edith Bowman in the cinema to participate in the Q&A while the rest of the band tuned in from New York City via the Hangout.
The event was the first of its kind linking a film premiere through Google+ to other cinemas and fans from across the globe.
- 9/7/2012
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
In a week that, coincidentally, I watched the Sigur Rós concert movie Inni and Talking Heads’ seminal Stop Making Sense, it seems fitting that I should now be reviewing the most recent music documentary film, Shut Up and Play the Hits.
Directed by Ryan Tomayko, the film documents the last ever gig by dance-punk band LCD Soundsystem at New York’s Madison Square Garden, and follows frontman and founder James Murphy on the days before and after the concert. It also features Murphy in an interview with American writer Chuck Klosterman that is sporadically cut between live footage.
For a music film to appeal to a wider audience than just its core fanbase, it needs to get the tone and the balance between live footage and context just right. Take my previous example for instance; Stop Making Sense is a film, devised by David Byrne, performed by Talking Heads (at...
Directed by Ryan Tomayko, the film documents the last ever gig by dance-punk band LCD Soundsystem at New York’s Madison Square Garden, and follows frontman and founder James Murphy on the days before and after the concert. It also features Murphy in an interview with American writer Chuck Klosterman that is sporadically cut between live footage.
For a music film to appeal to a wider audience than just its core fanbase, it needs to get the tone and the balance between live footage and context just right. Take my previous example for instance; Stop Making Sense is a film, devised by David Byrne, performed by Talking Heads (at...
- 9/5/2012
- Shadowlocked
In spite of still being at the peak of their popularity, in the February of 2011, LCD Soundsystem announced the date of their last ever show – 2nd April 2011. Tonight, Shut Up and Play the Hits, a documentary that chronicles that show, as well as the day following it, opens at select cinemas around the country.
The instantly sold out, near four-hour extravaganza did just that, moving the thousands in attendance to tears of joy and grief, with New York magazine calling the event “a marvel of pure craft” and Time magazine lamenting “we may never dance again.” Shut Up And Play The Hits is both a narrative film documenting this once in a life time performance and an intimate portrait of James Murphy as he navigates the lead-up to the show, the day after, and the personal and professional ramifications of his decision.We recently spoke to the directors of the film,...
The instantly sold out, near four-hour extravaganza did just that, moving the thousands in attendance to tears of joy and grief, with New York magazine calling the event “a marvel of pure craft” and Time magazine lamenting “we may never dance again.” Shut Up And Play The Hits is both a narrative film documenting this once in a life time performance and an intimate portrait of James Murphy as he navigates the lead-up to the show, the day after, and the personal and professional ramifications of his decision.We recently spoke to the directors of the film,...
- 9/4/2012
- by Ben Mortimer
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Following on from 2010's acclaimed Blur documentary No Distance Left to Run, Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace return this week with Shut Up and Play the Hits (2012), a new project detailing the final days of James Murphy's LCD Soundsystem. Despite looking like similar projects on paper, the directorial partnership's latest work is an altogether different beast to its predecessor, a concert film interspersed with a character study of Murphy, the band's leader. To mark its arrival on UK shores, CineVue was fortunate enough catch up with Southern and Lovelace for a chat about its imminent release.
Read more »...
Read more »...
- 9/4/2012
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
★★★★★ Following on from 2010's sublime No Distance Left to Run - an in-depth look at the formation, split and eventual euphoric reunion of Blur - directorial duo Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern return to theme of the band break-up with Shut Up and Play the Hits (2012), detailing the final day and performance in the history of James Murphy's LCD Soundsystem. Part interview, part concert movie, the duo's latest is ultimately a joyous, touching and at times moving tribute to one of the 21st century's most influential bands.
Read more »...
Read more »...
- 9/4/2012
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Girl Gang Season, Newcastle upon Tyne
A new film of Joyce Carol Oates's girl-gang novel Foxfire, directed by Laurent Cantet (The Class), premieres next month at the Toronto Film Festival, so now's the ideal time to visit the world of wild young women in the movies. Audiences can get everything short of a knuckleduster and some blood-red lippy in this girl-gang season. There's Ladies And Gentlemen The Fabulous Stains, featuring Laura Dern, Diane Lane, Ray Winstone and some former Sex Pistols among the pick'n'mix cast; an evening of work by the Canadian underground film-maker Gb Jones (including The Yo-Yo Gang), as well as 1980s post-punk favourite Times Square for any Damn Dogs out there.
The Star And Shadow, Sun to 13 Sep
Ryan Gilbey
Sight & Sound Poll Winners, London
Sight & Sound's recent poll to find the "greatest" films of all time succeeded mostly in illustrating that there's no such thing as consensus any more; still,...
A new film of Joyce Carol Oates's girl-gang novel Foxfire, directed by Laurent Cantet (The Class), premieres next month at the Toronto Film Festival, so now's the ideal time to visit the world of wild young women in the movies. Audiences can get everything short of a knuckleduster and some blood-red lippy in this girl-gang season. There's Ladies And Gentlemen The Fabulous Stains, featuring Laura Dern, Diane Lane, Ray Winstone and some former Sex Pistols among the pick'n'mix cast; an evening of work by the Canadian underground film-maker Gb Jones (including The Yo-Yo Gang), as well as 1980s post-punk favourite Times Square for any Damn Dogs out there.
The Star And Shadow, Sun to 13 Sep
Ryan Gilbey
Sight & Sound Poll Winners, London
Sight & Sound's recent poll to find the "greatest" films of all time succeeded mostly in illustrating that there's no such thing as consensus any more; still,...
- 8/31/2012
- by Ryan Gilbey, Damon Wise
- The Guardian - Film News
Digital Spy is teaming up with Stella Artois to give readers the chance to win tickets to the UK premiere of Shut Up and Play the Hits, a film that follows LCD Soundsystem's frontman, James Murphy, through his final showdown gig at Madison Square Gardens. The screening will be followed by An audience with James Murphy - a special Q&A event for film fans. Shut Up and Play the Hits is an intimate portrait documenting the final performance of iconic band LCD Soundsystem. The film tells the story of how frontman James Murphy had made the conscious decision to disband one of the most celebrated and influential bands of its generation at the peak of its popularity, ensuring that the band would go out on top with the biggest and most ambitious concert of its career. The four-hour gig instantly sold out and moved the thousands (more)...
- 8/29/2012
- by By Jay Seery
- Digital Spy
Shut Up and Play the Hits
Directed by Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern
UK, 2012
Hundreds of white balloons descend upon the Madison Square Garden audience during LCD Soundsystem’s final live show. A notable and influential band in their own right, frontman James Murphy decided to disband the group at the peak of their popularity in 2011, ensuring that the band would go out on top with what was arguably the band’s most ambitious concert of their career. Filmmakers Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern would chart that eventful night in New York, while also calling into question Murphy’s abrupt decision to call it quits. Being a fan of the group brings extra incentive and pleasure out of watching Murray wrestle with his decision throughout film. We’re privy to his spiraling collective consciousness that remains undefined to a certain degree even after the film closes.
This isn’t to...
Directed by Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern
UK, 2012
Hundreds of white balloons descend upon the Madison Square Garden audience during LCD Soundsystem’s final live show. A notable and influential band in their own right, frontman James Murphy decided to disband the group at the peak of their popularity in 2011, ensuring that the band would go out on top with what was arguably the band’s most ambitious concert of their career. Filmmakers Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern would chart that eventful night in New York, while also calling into question Murphy’s abrupt decision to call it quits. Being a fan of the group brings extra incentive and pleasure out of watching Murray wrestle with his decision throughout film. We’re privy to his spiraling collective consciousness that remains undefined to a certain degree even after the film closes.
This isn’t to...
- 8/24/2012
- by Ty Landis
- SoundOnSight
Eschewing the normal rock-doc mythmaking benchmarks for an intensely focused record of electro-rock outfit LCD Soundsystem’s final Madison Square Garden show, “Shut Up and Play The Hits” was indeed a hit when it first premiered at Sundance, as well as the one-night-only screenings held nationwide for the film’s release last month. However, most fans will be waiting for the Blu-ray/DVD release to catch up on what they missed at those quick screenings -- while fragments of the entire Msg concert were shown theatrically, audiences will be able to experience the whole thing on the home video release of the movie. For the film, directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern ("No Distance Left To Run") lovingly assembled band frontman James Murphy’s emotions the week before, the night of, and the day after the Msg event, but for those looking for just the concert in and of itself,...
- 8/14/2012
- by Charlie Schmidlin
- The Playlist
A New trailer has been released for Shut Up and Play The Hits, a documentary about the farewell concert of New York-based electronic dance band LCD Soundsystem.
It comes at the same time as a UK release date of September 4 has been announced for the film.
Official description
On April 2, 2011, LCD Soundsystem played its final show at Madison Square Garden.
LCD frontman James Murphy had made the conscious decision to disband one of the most celebrated and influential bands of its generation at the peak of its popularity, ensuring that the band would go out on top with the biggest and most ambitious concert of its career.
The instantly sold out, near four-hour extravaganza did just that, moving the thousands in attendance to tears of joy and grief, with New York magazine calling the event "a marvel of pure craft" and Time magazine lamenting "we may never dance again."
Shup...
It comes at the same time as a UK release date of September 4 has been announced for the film.
Official description
On April 2, 2011, LCD Soundsystem played its final show at Madison Square Garden.
LCD frontman James Murphy had made the conscious decision to disband one of the most celebrated and influential bands of its generation at the peak of its popularity, ensuring that the band would go out on top with the biggest and most ambitious concert of its career.
The instantly sold out, near four-hour extravaganza did just that, moving the thousands in attendance to tears of joy and grief, with New York magazine calling the event "a marvel of pure craft" and Time magazine lamenting "we may never dance again."
Shup...
- 8/10/2012
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
Believe it or not, there's more than just the epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy arriving in theaters this weekend. If you're not interested in (or, more likely, can't get tickets to) "The Dark Knight Rises," instead consider two great docs, "The Queen of Versailles" and "Shut Up and Play the Hits," or French romance "The Well-Digger's Daughter" or Japan's "Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai," all of which are earning strong reviews. Director Lauren Greenfield won the directing prize at Sundance for "The Queen of Versailles," her timely portrait of an uber-wealthy family before and after the financial crisis; the American Dream has never looked so bad (or so disturbing). "Shut Up" documents the final show of LCD Soundsystemt and frontman James Murphy. If you've never heard the band, there's no time like the present (you'll just be sorry when the reality that...
- 7/19/2012
- by Sophia Savage
- Thompson on Hollywood
Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace’s LCD Soundsystem movie Shut Up and Play the Hits has a one-day-only release today through Oscilloscope Pictures (in partnership with Tugg). The following interview was conducted just prior to the film’s premiere earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival.
Over LCD Soundsystem’s ten-year career, the band grew from early blog darlings to lauded indie stalwarts. After telegraphing the group’s demise years in advance, band-leader James Murphy officially disbanded LCD last April with a star-studded, marathon-length performance at Madison Square Garden. Now, less than a year later, Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace present Shut Up and Play the Hits, a documentary that follows Murphy and his band-mates in the run-up to and aftermath of their now-legendary final performance. If the film’s trailer is any indication, Shut up and Play the Hits will serve as a great encapsulation of the excitement,...
Over LCD Soundsystem’s ten-year career, the band grew from early blog darlings to lauded indie stalwarts. After telegraphing the group’s demise years in advance, band-leader James Murphy officially disbanded LCD last April with a star-studded, marathon-length performance at Madison Square Garden. Now, less than a year later, Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace present Shut Up and Play the Hits, a documentary that follows Murphy and his band-mates in the run-up to and aftermath of their now-legendary final performance. If the film’s trailer is any indication, Shut up and Play the Hits will serve as a great encapsulation of the excitement,...
- 7/18/2012
- by Dan Schoenbrun
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
On Wednesday night across North America, Oscilloscope Laboratories is releasing LCD Soundsystem documentary "Shut Up and Play The Hits" in 163 theaters across North America before a digital release later this year. Directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, the doc is largely about the James Murphy-fronted band's final gig at Madison Square Garden last year. The film premiered at Sundance earlier this year, and offers incredible footage from the show, as a well some considerable insight into the incredible mind of Murphy. Check out Indiewire's review here. Below is a list of all theaters the United States and Canada that will be playing "Shut Up and Play The Hits" Wednesday night (and in some cases due to high demand, the night after... which to some degree negates the whole "one night only" thing). Note that some theaters are already sold out. For links to all the theaters and information...
- 7/18/2012
- by Peter Knegt
- Indiewire
New York -- Asked to characterize "Shut Up and Play the Hits," a concert film that documents LCD Soundsystem's final, oft-mythologized show at Madison Square Garden, James Murphy deadpans a television promo.
"Middle-age guy stops band. Pictures at 11."
The film, which plays in theaters for one night Wednesday, is a kind of "The Last Waltz" for a new generation: an adored band going out with a self-induced, possibly premature bang. But it's also, as the filmmakers Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace say, "a character study" of Murphy, whose decision to end LCD Soundsystem is as curious to the man who made it as it is to anybody.
"I still don't know if it's the right decision," says Murphy. "I felt like it was the right decision for the moment and you only have that. And I'm Ok with that. I regret it sometimes. I don't know if I regret it,...
"Middle-age guy stops band. Pictures at 11."
The film, which plays in theaters for one night Wednesday, is a kind of "The Last Waltz" for a new generation: an adored band going out with a self-induced, possibly premature bang. But it's also, as the filmmakers Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace say, "a character study" of Murphy, whose decision to end LCD Soundsystem is as curious to the man who made it as it is to anybody.
"I still don't know if it's the right decision," says Murphy. "I felt like it was the right decision for the moment and you only have that. And I'm Ok with that. I regret it sometimes. I don't know if I regret it,...
- 7/17/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
At a pivotal moment in "Shut Up and Play the Hits," James Murphy cries. For committed fans of LCD Soundsystem, the paradigm-shifting dance-rock group that abruptly ended its decade-long rise with the 2011 Madison Square Garden show captured in the documentary, Murphy's tears are a collective enterprise. He sobs for all of us. If you've never heard of LCD Soundsystem or cared much for the group's work, "Shut Up and Play the Hits" still manages to explore the prospects of fame and contemporary rock music's lasting relevance. For those familiar with the thick blend of electronic rhythms, funky keyboards, dirty guitars and lead singer James Murphy's ability to croon and holler into the microphone in equal measures -- often over the course of frantic and hugely infectious tracks -- directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern provide a terrific showcase of the band's appeal and the rabid fandom that supported them.
- 7/17/2012
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Over the years, there have been numerous bands and artists that are as synonymous with their work as they are with New York City, and in recent memory few have been more connected to the Big Apple than LCD Soundsystem. James Murphy's celebrated band served as an unofficial soundtrack to the city, the ambition of its youth, the summer nights that blended into the morning, its disappointments and its surprises. As you well know, the band broke up with a helluva goodbye, with a four-hour blowout at Madison Square Garden in February 2011. But the tributes keep rolling in for a band that will not soon be forgotten....
"LCD Soundsystem + NYC," directed by Lance Bangs (noted music video helmer who put together the visuals for LCD Soundsystem's final performance), is the first in a four-part series of shorts surrounding the upcoming "Shut Up And Play The Hits" that will honor the group.
"LCD Soundsystem + NYC," directed by Lance Bangs (noted music video helmer who put together the visuals for LCD Soundsystem's final performance), is the first in a four-part series of shorts surrounding the upcoming "Shut Up And Play The Hits" that will honor the group.
- 7/3/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
It’s impossible to ignore the clear contender for most-anticipated film of the month, let alone year, but will Christopher Nolan‘s Batman trilogy end with a whimper or a bang? While we wait a few weeks to find out, there’s plenty of promising alternatives with some great documentaries, indie offerings and few other blockbusters. Be sure to check your local listings to see when some of these hit your area, as well as VOD platforms. See our picks for matinees below, followed by our top 10 must-sees.
Matinees: Crazy Eyes (7/6), The Do-Deca-Pentathlon (7/6), Trishna (7/13), Farewell, My Queen (7/13), Alps (7/13), War of the Buttons (7/18), Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (7/27) and Easy Money (7/27)
10. Shut Up and Play the Hits (Will Lovelace, Dylan Southern; July 18th)
Synopsis: On April 2nd 2011, LCD Soundsystem played its final show at Madison Square Garden. Documenting this once in a life time performance and an intimate portrait of James Murphy...
Matinees: Crazy Eyes (7/6), The Do-Deca-Pentathlon (7/6), Trishna (7/13), Farewell, My Queen (7/13), Alps (7/13), War of the Buttons (7/18), Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (7/27) and Easy Money (7/27)
10. Shut Up and Play the Hits (Will Lovelace, Dylan Southern; July 18th)
Synopsis: On April 2nd 2011, LCD Soundsystem played its final show at Madison Square Garden. Documenting this once in a life time performance and an intimate portrait of James Murphy...
- 7/2/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
There are people, we're told, who just rock up to the theater on Friday night and see whatever is coming on next. We have never been those people. We scan the release calendar weeks, even months in advance, in order to check out what's coming to theaters, so we know what we're queueing up for, and when we'll be seeing it.
But it can be a little overwhelming, when every week sees a half-dozen movies or more released, whether wide or more limited. So to help you along your way, we've picked ten films that are unspooling in the next 30 days or so. So with no further ado...
1. "The Dark Knight Rises"
Look, you've probably got your IMAX midnight tickets booked, so this is almost unnecessary to say. But it's certainly the most anticipated film of the month for 90% of the population, and there's no way this wasn't going to be atop this list.
But it can be a little overwhelming, when every week sees a half-dozen movies or more released, whether wide or more limited. So to help you along your way, we've picked ten films that are unspooling in the next 30 days or so. So with no further ado...
1. "The Dark Knight Rises"
Look, you've probably got your IMAX midnight tickets booked, so this is almost unnecessary to say. But it's certainly the most anticipated film of the month for 90% of the population, and there's no way this wasn't going to be atop this list.
- 7/2/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Everyone who missed out on getting tickets to the LCD Soundsystem farewell show last year will have to settle for the next best thing: Shut Up And Play The Hits, the documentary about that concert and its architect, former LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy. Shut Up And Play The Hits is making its way to music-starved theaters across the nation for the night of July 18, including a show at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago. Directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, with magical dialog by Chuck Klosterman, the documentary tracks Murphy during the buildup to the final LCD ...
- 5/29/2012
- avclub.com
New York distributor Oscilloscope Pictures has announced they will be bringing their Sundance hit LCD Soundsystem documentary Shut Up And Play The Hits to the big screen in a less than typical fashion. The film will play one night only, Wednesday July 18th, at theaters all across the country. See the full updated list of cities here. What's more, if your city isn't listed now, Oscilloscope has included a eventful widget that allows you to demand your city be added to the list. Directed by Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, Shut Up And Play The Hits takes you on a tour into the mind of LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy on the occasion of LCD's final show in 2011. Featuring a fantastic amount of...
- 5/29/2012
- Screen Anarchy
On July 18, James Murphy and his band LCD Soundsystem will be taking the stage at Madison Square Garden once more -- on the screens at about six dozen movie theaters nationwide. More than six months after the dance-rock band bid adieu in "Shut Up and Play the Hits" at its Sundance Film Festival premiere, Oscilloscope Laboratories is taking the documentary-feature on a one-day tour all over the country, with many tickets going on sale June 8. Click here to check out all the cities and screenings details. "Shut Up and Play the Hits" chronicled the day-of -- and the days...
- 5/29/2012
- Hitfix
Late Beastie Boy's film company, Oscilloscope Laboratories, carries on his legacy.
By Fallon Prinzivalli
Adam Yauch in 1999
Photo: Mick Hutson/ Getty Images
With the news Friday that Beastie Boy Adam Yauch lost his battle with cancer, distraught fans turned up "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)" and remembered the rapper's incredible musical accomplishments. But those of us with an eye on movies remember McA's contributions to the film industry as well.
With countless Beastie songs featured on movie soundtracks, including J.J. Abram's "Star Trek" and Marvel's "Iron Man 2," there's no doubt the group as a whole had success in film. But Yauch took it a step further when he dove into directing documentaries and shorts, including "Fight for Your Right Revisited," his 2011 Sundance Film Festival debut that acted as a sequel to the hip-hop trio's 1987 music video.
Most notably, however, Yauch launched the indie production and distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories.
By Fallon Prinzivalli
Adam Yauch in 1999
Photo: Mick Hutson/ Getty Images
With the news Friday that Beastie Boy Adam Yauch lost his battle with cancer, distraught fans turned up "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)" and remembered the rapper's incredible musical accomplishments. But those of us with an eye on movies remember McA's contributions to the film industry as well.
With countless Beastie songs featured on movie soundtracks, including J.J. Abram's "Star Trek" and Marvel's "Iron Man 2," there's no doubt the group as a whole had success in film. But Yauch took it a step further when he dove into directing documentaries and shorts, including "Fight for Your Right Revisited," his 2011 Sundance Film Festival debut that acted as a sequel to the hip-hop trio's 1987 music video.
Most notably, however, Yauch launched the indie production and distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories.
- 5/7/2012
- MTV Music News
Late Beastie Boy's film company, Oscilloscope Laboratories, carries on his legacy.
By Fallon Prinzivalli
Adam Yauch in 1999
Photo: Mick Hutson/ Getty Images
With the news Friday that Beastie Boy Adam Yauch lost his battle with cancer, distraught fans turned up "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)" and remembered the rapper's incredible musical accomplishments. But those of us with an eye on movies remember McA's contributions to the film industry as well.
With countless Beastie songs featured on movie soundtracks, including J.J. Abram's "Star Trek" and Marvel's "Iron Man 2," there's no doubt the group as a whole had success in film. But Yauch took it a step further when he dove into directing documentaries and shorts, including "Fight for Your Right Revisited," his 2011 Sundance Film Festival debut that acted as a sequel to the hip-hop trio's 1987 music video.
Most notably, however, Yauch launched the indie production and distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories.
By Fallon Prinzivalli
Adam Yauch in 1999
Photo: Mick Hutson/ Getty Images
With the news Friday that Beastie Boy Adam Yauch lost his battle with cancer, distraught fans turned up "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)" and remembered the rapper's incredible musical accomplishments. But those of us with an eye on movies remember McA's contributions to the film industry as well.
With countless Beastie songs featured on movie soundtracks, including J.J. Abram's "Star Trek" and Marvel's "Iron Man 2," there's no doubt the group as a whole had success in film. But Yauch took it a step further when he dove into directing documentaries and shorts, including "Fight for Your Right Revisited," his 2011 Sundance Film Festival debut that acted as a sequel to the hip-hop trio's 1987 music video.
Most notably, however, Yauch launched the indie production and distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories.
- 5/7/2012
- MTV Movie News
Any mixed feelings about their own output notwithstanding, the LCD Soundsystem documentary Shut Up and Play the Hits has been an anticipated item for myself; blame a strong trailer and our positive review. So, put two and two together (or, one and one), and you can imagine why I’m happy to report that, this summer, Oscilloscope will be releasing the documentary into head-banging theaters.
A press release from their website — which comes exactly one year after the farewell concert that acts as the film’s center — brings the news to light. However, those of you who want to experience the epic performance might need to make some arrangements; in an unconventional move, Oscilloscope will release Play the Hits “in special one-night-only engagements in theaters nationwide this summer.” A home viewing may have to wait for myself, alas.
Read the full release below:
“New York, NY (April 2, 2012)—Oscilloscope Laboratories announced...
A press release from their website — which comes exactly one year after the farewell concert that acts as the film’s center — brings the news to light. However, those of you who want to experience the epic performance might need to make some arrangements; in an unconventional move, Oscilloscope will release Play the Hits “in special one-night-only engagements in theaters nationwide this summer.” A home viewing may have to wait for myself, alas.
Read the full release below:
“New York, NY (April 2, 2012)—Oscilloscope Laboratories announced...
- 4/3/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
One year ago today, LCD Soundsystem, hundreds of friends and thousands of fans converged on Madison Square Garden for James Murphy and co.’s farewell performance. All the while, the cameras were rolling, resulting in Shut Up And Play the Hits, a documentary that follows Murphy and the band in the days leading up to, during and after the tumultuous four-hour farewell....
- 4/2/2012
- Pastemagazine.com
Exclusive: Oscilloscope Laboratories acquired North American rights to the Dylan Southern/Will Lovelace-directed Shut Up and Play The Hits, which documents the final days of LCD Soundsystem. The film premiered at Sundance and then played SXSW. I’m told it will l be released in special one-night-only engagements in theaters nationwide this summer. Wme Global’s Mark Ankner made the deal. It was only a year ago that the band played its final show at Madison Square Garden after LCD frontman James Murphy had made the decision to disband while the group was at its peak.
- 4/2/2012
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
Oscilloscope Laboratories announced today that the company has picked up the North American distribution rights for the LCD Soundsystem film Shut Up and Play the Hits , which world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, with plans to release it via one-night-only engagements in theaters across the country this summer. Directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, who made the Blur movie No Distance Left to Run , the film follows the last 48 hours in the life of James Murphy's popular electronic rock band LCD Soundsystem in the time leading to and including their final show at New York City's Madison Square Garden, a four-hour spectacle that sold out its tickets within minutes. You can read our thoughts on the movie from Sundance here and here --it was...
- 4/2/2012
- Comingsoon.net
In the midst of alleged Kanye West sightings, rumors of a Girl Talk show, and the overall chaos of the second day of the Music fest at SXSW, Shut Up and Play the Hits, a documentary chronicling the last days of the band LCD Soundsystem, was able to fill up the Stateside Theatre on Thursday afternoon. The film is centered on James Murphy, the eclectic leader and brain-child of LCD Soundsystem. Directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern weave together a personal interview with Murphy, footage from their last show at (a sold-out) Madison Square Garden, and footage shot of Murphy the morning after the final show.
Murphy's internal struggles are laid bare in the film as he discusses briefly the history of LCD Soundsystem, but mainly talks about his creative process, when something can be considered art, and his reasons for quitting. The rapid success of LCD Soundsystem came late...
Murphy's internal struggles are laid bare in the film as he discusses briefly the history of LCD Soundsystem, but mainly talks about his creative process, when something can be considered art, and his reasons for quitting. The rapid success of LCD Soundsystem came late...
- 3/20/2012
- by Michael Davenport
- Slackerwood
The following is a reprint of our review from the Sundance Film Festival.
Less of a documentary and more of a document, "Shut Up And Play The Hits" captures the week before, the day after and the very occasion of LCD Soundsystem’s Madison Square Garden farewell concert on April 2, 2011.
For the unaware, LCD Soundsystem was a Grammy-nominated electro-dance-rock outfit headed up by James Murphy, a frontman who opted to end their relatively successful ten-year run with said Msg blowout. Those looking for a full-bore origin story on the band won’t find it here – no scrappy rise to fame, no tragic overdoses, and the fellow band members hardly even speak – yet it is clearly a conscious effort by directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern (Blur doc "No Distance Left To Run") to emphasize the ephemeral nature of the event. 'Shut Up' could be about anyone, any band, any artist...
Less of a documentary and more of a document, "Shut Up And Play The Hits" captures the week before, the day after and the very occasion of LCD Soundsystem’s Madison Square Garden farewell concert on April 2, 2011.
For the unaware, LCD Soundsystem was a Grammy-nominated electro-dance-rock outfit headed up by James Murphy, a frontman who opted to end their relatively successful ten-year run with said Msg blowout. Those looking for a full-bore origin story on the band won’t find it here – no scrappy rise to fame, no tragic overdoses, and the fellow band members hardly even speak – yet it is clearly a conscious effort by directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern (Blur doc "No Distance Left To Run") to emphasize the ephemeral nature of the event. 'Shut Up' could be about anyone, any band, any artist...
- 3/14/2012
- by William Goss
- The Playlist
If you’re of the same mindset, music and comedy go down together quite nicely and we’ve got a treat for you this afternoon. After trailers for both, the first clips for two of my festival favorites have appeared. We’ve got a snippet from LCD Soundsystem‘s farewell concert doc Shut Up and Play the Hits, as well as Bobcat Goldthwait’s World’s Greatest Dad follow-up, the dark comedy God Bless America.
In the latter, we get a tirade from Joel Murray on the the sickening degradation of America pop culture. I loved the film at Tiff, as the director perfectly captures everything there is to despise about reality TV shows and other overarching messages in society. In the Shut Up clip we’ve got a snippet of their North American Scum performance and part of the interview with frontman James Murphy, where he goes into the reasoning for the break-up.
In the latter, we get a tirade from Joel Murray on the the sickening degradation of America pop culture. I loved the film at Tiff, as the director perfectly captures everything there is to despise about reality TV shows and other overarching messages in society. In the Shut Up clip we’ve got a snippet of their North American Scum performance and part of the interview with frontman James Murphy, where he goes into the reasoning for the break-up.
- 3/8/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
The Sundance Institute and The O2 announced today the programme of 14 narrative and documentary feature films that will make their UK premieres at the inaugural Sundance London festival, taking place at The O2 from 26-29 April. These films premiered in January at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah – the premier independent film festival in the United States.
“I welcome the opportunity to see how people in the UK experience these films,” said Robert Redford, President and Founder of Sundance Institute. “While they are American productions they speak to universal experiences and global challenges.”
He went on to add, “Sundance London also is the perfect opportunity to continue our long-time commitment to growing a broader international community around new voices and new perspectives.”
John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, said, “Sundance London grew out of our desire to help American independent filmmakers expand their reach, and we...
“I welcome the opportunity to see how people in the UK experience these films,” said Robert Redford, President and Founder of Sundance Institute. “While they are American productions they speak to universal experiences and global challenges.”
He went on to add, “Sundance London also is the perfect opportunity to continue our long-time commitment to growing a broader international community around new voices and new perspectives.”
John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, said, “Sundance London grew out of our desire to help American independent filmmakers expand their reach, and we...
- 3/7/2012
- by John
- SoundOnSight
Sundance London has unveiled the lineup for its inaugural film and music festival. LCD Soundsystem documentary Shut Up and Play the Hits, which follows James Murphy in the run-up to the group's last ever show at Madison Square Garden, is among the 14 films on the programme for the event. Julie Delpy's second directorial offering 2 Days in New York, Josh Radnor's Liberal Arts, climate change documentary Chasing Ice and Paul Dano's For Ellen are also among the films getting a UK premiere. Robert Redford, who brings his Utah Sundance Film Festival to London's O2 from April 26-29, said: "I welcome the opportunity to see how people in the UK experience these films. While they are American productions they speak to universal experiences and global challenges. "Sundance London also is the (more)...
- 3/7/2012
- by By Simon Reynolds
- Digital Spy
2012 will be the first year that Sundance comes to London and we here at HeyUGuys are very excited about it. It takes place 26th – 29th April and we’re hoping to be there to cover as much of the event as is possible.
Incase you’re not familiar with Sundance, it is a spin-off from the big Us event which takes place in Park City, Utah at the beginning of the year. In a nutshell, Sundance is a four-day festival that will include film screenings, live music performances, discussions, panels and other public cultural programming will be held 26 – 29 April, 2012 at The O2 in London. Robert Redford is due to open the festival with a discussion connecting film and music. ‘An Evening with Robert Redford and T Bone Burnett’ will be moderated by author and screenwriter Nick Hornby.
Today we get to see the full line-up of movies that will be...
Incase you’re not familiar with Sundance, it is a spin-off from the big Us event which takes place in Park City, Utah at the beginning of the year. In a nutshell, Sundance is a four-day festival that will include film screenings, live music performances, discussions, panels and other public cultural programming will be held 26 – 29 April, 2012 at The O2 in London. Robert Redford is due to open the festival with a discussion connecting film and music. ‘An Evening with Robert Redford and T Bone Burnett’ will be moderated by author and screenwriter Nick Hornby.
Today we get to see the full line-up of movies that will be...
- 3/7/2012
- by David Sztypuljak
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
James Murphy has revealed that he is planning to release his own coffee blend. The LCD Soundsystem frontman explained that he was recently given a training course on making his own coffee from a leading expert, and that he intends to produce his own line. "I make a lot of coffee," he told Grub Street. "For my birthday, my girlfriend got me a training course with the world champion. That's what I'm going to do when I get back to London." Speaking at the premiere of his documentary Shut Up and Play the Hits - a film about his final live performance - he added that he plans to "just (more)...
- 1/31/2012
- by By Tom Eames
- Digital Spy
Title: Shut Up and Play The Hits Director: Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern Cast: James Murphy, LCD Soundsystem and Chuck Klosterman LCD Soundsystem’s last show was on April 2nd 2011. The band dismembered afterwards but announcement the upcoming breakup was released a few months before. Going into this last performance was captured on film and the result is this documentary by Will Loveless and Dylan Southern. It serves as half a documentary and half interview by writer Chuck Klosterman with the mastermind behind it all, James Murphy. In the interview, Murphy reflects on the last 6 years of LCD Soundsystem, the reasoning behind the breakup and his future. But in...
- 1/28/2012
- by Rudie Obias
- ShockYa
Does the culture make the artist, or does the artist make the culture? Two Sundance documentaries — Shut Up And Play the Hits, which follows James Murphy through the last concert of his band LCD Soundsystem in 2010, and Under African Skies, Joe Berlinger’s history of Paul Simon’s seminal Graceland – might seem to be unlikely bedfellows. Both films are brilliantly executed portraits of musicians walking the tightrope of cultural relevance and personal expression. The differences between the two stories illustrate fundamental changes in our popular culture over the last 30 years.
Both films seek to explore “a moment in time.” For Under African Skies, that’s 1986, the year Simon released his celebrated and controversial album Graceland. His prior album, Hearts & Bones had flopped, providing his first taste of anything but wild success since the ‘60s. “I felt liberated,” explains Simon, not having the record companies on his back expecting hits. “I...
Both films seek to explore “a moment in time.” For Under African Skies, that’s 1986, the year Simon released his celebrated and controversial album Graceland. His prior album, Hearts & Bones had flopped, providing his first taste of anything but wild success since the ‘60s. “I felt liberated,” explains Simon, not having the record companies on his back expecting hits. “I...
- 1/27/2012
- by Alicia Van Couvering
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
From the film’s opening, it is clear that while LCD Soundsystem may be over, they certainly went out with one hell of a goodbye party. The decision to end the band was more than surprising to their fans and Shut Up and Play the Hits takes viewers behind-the-scenes of the moments leading up to, during, and after the band’s final show. The film takes its cue from the title and focuses on the music while directors Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace also lace in interviews and quiet moments with front man James Murphy off-stage. The film opens asking the question on everyone’s mind – why would a band, at the height of their career, decide to walk away from it all? During an interview with Chuck Klosterman, Murphy explains that he simply wants to lead a normal life and while he is not sure that is a good enough reason to quit, it...
- 1/26/2012
- by Allison Loring
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Less of a documentary and more of a document, "Shut Up And Play The Hits" captures the week before, the day after and the very occasion of LCD Soundsystem’s Madison Square Garden farewell concert on April 2, 2011. For the unaware, LCD Soundsystem was a Grammy-nominated electro-dance-rock outfit headed up by James Murphy, a frontman who opted to end their relatively successful ten-year run with said Msg blowout. Those looking for a full-bore origin story on the band won’t find it here – no scrappy rise to fame, no tragic overdoses, and the fellow band members hardly even speak – yet it is clearly a conscious effort by directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern (Blur doc "No Distance Left To Run") to emphasize the ephemeral nature of the event. 'Shut Up' could be about anyone, any band, any artist coming to terms with their success and finding themselves on the verge of...
- 1/26/2012
- The Playlist
I've got a confession to make: before seeing Shut Up and Play The Hits, I had never heard an LCD Soundsystem song. But that gave me a unique vantage point from which to view this film, as I don't think many people who haven't heard of the band would watch a 105 minute documentary about them. Most good documentaries simultaneously educate and entertain, so did this one meet the criteria?
Unlike Michael Rappaport's superlative music documentary Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest from last year's festival, Shut Up doesn't aim to provide any context for how its musical subjects fit into the larger picture of the music scene. Instead, it concentrates almost solely on frontman James Murphy and his decision to walk away from the band and retire at age 41. Intercut with footage from their final concert at Madison Square Garden, the doc contrasts the insanity...
- 1/26/2012
- by benp
- GeekTyrant
LCD Soundsystem leader James Murphy has always come across like a fantastic man on record and in interviews, so imagine how crush-worthy he is in Shut Up and Play the Hits, in which he reflects on his music career to date as Lcdss’s final show approaches. Exuding the kind of cool that comes from humble self-consciousness, Murphy’s answers to writer Chuck Klosterman‘s guiding questions touch on his love of art and community as he illuminates some of the feelings behind his decision to end LCD at a creative zenith. The footage from the Madison Square Garden show is emotional, and you will probably tear up for the 1,000th time during a live rendition of “All My Friends”.
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I had to exit the V/H/S screening about 30 minutes into the feature, not wanting to be the second case of someone passing out during...
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I had to exit the V/H/S screening about 30 minutes into the feature, not wanting to be the second case of someone passing out during...
- 1/26/2012
- by arno
- IMDb Blog - All the Latest
LCD Soundsystem is over, but James Murphy lives on. That's main takeaway of "Shut Up and Play the Hits," the energetic portrait of the group's big finish last year and a popular entry in Sundance's midnight selection this year. More than just a concert movie, "Shut Up and Play the Hits" explores the 41-year-old Murphy's decision to walk away from being the frontman for a vastly successful dance rock band at the height of its popularity. Directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern combine footage of the spectacular final show, which took place at Madison Square Garden last April in front of thousands of rabid fans (including this writer), with footage shot the day after that captures Murphy's quiet, pensive experience the next day. Those into the band will obviously delight in the final show's lavish production values, but others may find Murphy's solemn morning-after experience far more interesting for the way it captures his.
- 1/24/2012
- Indiewire
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