I watched the David Bowie biopic so you don't have to

#Stardust the semi-recent biopic about #DavidBowie is a strange film that answers the question Bowie never wanted answered: How do you make a David Bowie biopic?
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ninjoi. - Outro - thmatc.co/?l=0BF5A1FC

[@jamescerche]

Sounds like this project could have used some c-c-changes.

[@sweetnsournugget2609]

They didn't turn and face the facts

[@jhonnycagexrage7458]

I don't want to be a biased man

[@benoakes01]

Ch-ch-changes more like…

[@diffusewings4937]

Hahaaaa

[@llamapocolypes2875]

@@sweetnsournugget2609CH-CH-CHANGEHES

[@FatNorthernBigot]

If you want a Bowie biopic from this era, watch “The Man Who Fell to Earth”. The guy who played Bowie really nailed it.

[@Protostarofficial]

And he looks so much like him too

[@FatNorthernBigot]

@@Protostarofficial I’m guessing it was clever use of prosthetics/makeup.

[@Protostarofficial]

@@FatNorthernBigot yeah, propably

[@rylanhudson9319]

I heard the actor actually developed a severe eating disorder and did insane amounts of coke to better get into the role

[@ytuser_3122]

That film was amazing!

[@soft_core_punk]

I love it when people tell you "go and make your own" when you criticise something they like. It'd be fun to do with mundane things, like : "- I don't like broccoli? - Oh yeah? Well why don't YOU try and create a vegetable then?"

[@NewFalconerRecords]

I'm stealing that. What a brilliant analogy

[@kazoofum168]

creating a broccoli sounds like creating the universe, wich sounds impossible, creating art is something humans can do. I'm more of the quote: those who can't teach, teach gym. And other quotes like that.

[@soft_core_punk]

@@kazoofum168 Well some aliments were manipulated to become the ones we eat today, wether it was their taste, their colour or their composition. So, in a way, given enough time and skill (just like what you need for an artistic endeavour), you can say they were "created". Or maybe not. Doesn't matter. Whatever floats your broccoli. Do broccolis float? I don't know, I never eat them, I don't like them, which is why I'm working on creating a new type of vegetable, but since I only have a diploma in film production, it might take a while before I create a vegetable that doesn't taste like diesel fuel.

[@kazoofum168]

@@soft_core_punk i don't buy your reply, but your music is quite fine to me

[@soft_core_punk]

@@kazoofum168 Thank you! Forget everything I said, then! :D

[@engurland]

I saw this in the cinema. The saddest thing about this film was as I was leaving I saw a girl with a Ziggy haircut and face-paint. Imagine making that much effort to see this rubbish.

[@clivemclachlan4689]

I don’t remember this movie coming out and I work at a dvd store

[@TheGeorgeD13]

Those still exist?

[@walterzamalis4846]

I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who works in 2007 before

[@whedonobsessed]

dvd stores still exist?

[@discotequilasunset]

holy shit how’d you time travel?

[@mollkatless]

where in the deep south did you say you live?

[@iursits1547]

The fact that Velvet Goldmine (which had its own faults but in whole is a great film) represents the feeling of that era and the concept of Bowie better than a "real" Bowie biopic is just saddening. Making a biopic that he or his family didn't consent to is just so desrespectful.

[@thebasedgodmax1163]

nice twin peaks pfp

[@celebrityguest.9530]

to be fair david bowie hated velvet goldmine too. i mean that's definitely one of my favorite movies but yeah

[@thebasedgodmax1163]

@@celebrityguest.9530 he hated it for some silly reasons though. he didn’t like how it took inspiration from his ex wife’s book on him mainly, despite it not being a biopic and just being inspired by him. theres a funny interview with him and brian molko from placebo on the film, as molko was in it and loved it but bowie absolutely detested talking about it

[@jeanmichellelaurent]

Yeah and what’s ironic is that velvet goldmine isn’t strictly about Bowie, but tells his story so much better and faithfully

[@jessiemarshall9621]

@@thebasedgodmax1163 omg do you have a link to this interview? it sounds incred

[@Zice033]

My idea for a “Bowie Tribute Film” has always basically been “Fantasia but with Bowie Music”.

[@samuele64246]

I think you watched moonage daydream right?

[@imnotafuckingmermaid]

They really said “we don’t need David Bowie’s music in a movie about David Bowie!“ as if his music isn’t the reason he’s famous 😂

[@FrenkTheJoy]

It was more likely "We can't afford David Bowie's music, even cover versions"

[@hannahmoran3660]

Elliot... you're a saint. I have never had any intention of seeing this movie, but I also had a morbid curiosity about it as a Bowie fan- like a "how bad can it really be?" sort of feeling. THANK YOU for watching it so that we don't have to 😂

[@jackllanternIsInAnotherCastle]

A Bowie fan yeah? Look up ‘David Bowie Statutory rape’ then.

[@slipstreammonkey]

@@jackllanternIsInAnotherCastle Certainly a good point on breaking apart any individuals deeds and separating their good deeds form bad. On a side note, who are you a fan of in from any recent history?

[@jackllanternIsInAnotherCastle]

​@@slipstreammonkey Michael Gira. Not sure what to think about the Grimm situation as it died down very quickly. Right now that's just accusation.

[@jefferyjones8399]

@@jackllanternIsInAnotherCastle Seems a bit ugly of you to bring that up

[@jackllanternIsInAnotherCastle]

@@jefferyjones8399 You'd rather we remembered all the good stuff he did? instead of remembering what he was actually like. What's ugly is not recognising the flawed and pretty horrible person he was. But hey if you would rather ignore what he did, thats on you.

[@JRCT3E]

what sucked the most imo was putting terry and the jones-family's struggle with schizophrenia into the film. this was an aspect bowie was very private about, and to see it in the movie felt sensational and disrespectful.

[@annjustin2785]

I know for a fact if David was still here this film would never have existed😢

[@jasoncromwell4206]

I have always maintained, if Duncan and Iman ever gave their blessing, the only way to make a David Bowie movie is to make it like "I'm Not There." Since Bowie, much like Dylan, always hid behind these characters and personalities then have multiple actors play him. That's the only way it would ever work.

[@SweetAeromotion]

What about his daughter lmao

[@cesarmadero05]

Moonage Daydream!?

[@jasoncromwell4206]

@@cesarmadero05 I made this comment way before the announcement of it. Super excited to see it

[@sl1975sl]

Funny you should mention that - a decade before I'm Not There, Todd Haynes made a film called Velvet Goldmine.

[@jasoncromwell4206]

@@sl1975sl Great Movie but it was also Unauthorized by both David and Iggy.

[@TheWolfmaid]

There is a fantastic interview out there from the 90s where, when the interviewer asked David Bowie who he would cast to play himself in a film, he (after saying that he would really prefer no one did) semi-facetiously suggested he would like either 5 different actors to portray him in an avant garde sort of way, or a woman in drag to play him, the only name he'd give was PJ Harvey lol. If they'd have done either of those suggestions they'd immediately have gotten closer to what made Bowie so great, but they went for the most bland, cash-grabby, formulaic garbage possible. EDIT Here's the interview because I actually can't do Bowie's words justice, he's hilarious kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZvbZ3WooZ6XfZY

[@mosquerajoseph7305]

@Colson Kuliopulos I was gonna comment this lmao

[@TheWolfmaid]

@Colson Kuliopulos Haha omg, I've never heard of it but reading up that sounds like what Bowie was getting at! Something like that would probably be the only kind of biopic Bowie would have any appreciation of. But then he commented on Velvet Goldmine that the only part of it he enjoyed was the gay sex scenes so who really knows if he'd go so far as to like it lmao.

[@markwardel6751]

I agree... 'I'm not there' had 6 actors playing Bob Dylan including Cate Blanchett who is excellent as the young Dylan. This approach would work perfectly for Bowie.

[@mosquerajoseph7305]

@@TheWolfmaid you should watch it, it’s more of an arthouse film and it switches between styles of film frequently but it’s a very profound take on the biopic medium

[@erikdaniels0n]

@Colson Kuliopulos I actually think an “I’m Not There” style movie about Bowie would actually be amazing

[@abook2141]

genuinely want to know what compelled them to hire an actor who looks like the exact opposite of david bowie

[@fredhasopinions]

johnny flynn's not a bad actor per se, but got does he look 200% like Noel Fielding after five nights out partying in this movie than he does like David Bowie. These casting choices are so confusing.

[@timstamps5281]

There's a lot wrong with this film, starting with calling it a "biopic." 1) It has very little to do with what really happened in the real David Bowie's life. It is more of a fan fantasy of a character based on that fan's impressions of a Bowie persona. 2) Since they couldn't use Bowie's actual songs, they used some that Bowie had covered around that time such as a few songs by Jacques Brel. 3) The film has the Bowie character riding around the US with a US promoter. It has more in common with Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter." 4) The title of the film was wrong too. It was more about "All The Madmen", which would have been a more accurate title.

[@JugaJuga14]

Yeah but all the madmen wouldn’t have gotten the cheap publicity of having a recognisable title. It’s even more cowardly considering they didn’t even put the song in the movie

[@elagabalusrex390]

I think you mean "The Man Who Sold the World". "All the Madmen" was a song off of the album of that name.

[@timstamps5281]

@@elagabalusrex390 No I really do mean "All the Madmen" - it illustrates the content of the film more than "The Man Who Sold the World." For example, they cover the issue with Bowie's brother Terry, who suffered from mental illness.

[@semperterra3235]

These kind of biopics are usually a bad idea. Firstly they run into the Kilmer-Morrison problem, Bowie has such a powerful and well established screen presence that is really hard for an actor portraying him to be anything other than an obviously inferior imitation. Secondly there is the problem of truth being stranger than fiction, Bowie's actual life story is more interesting than anything a writer could invent, but that makes it difficult to effectively dramatize.

[@theshortslav2639]

The fact that you said fan fantasy… SO IS IT A BAD WATTPAD FANFIC WITHOUT THE SELF INSERT OR IS THAT JUST BOWIE IN HERE-

[@deanedge5988]

I think in Bowies case the appearance was always absolutely crucial. You have to get some resemblance to the unworldy beauty. This guy looked like your embarassing uncle at a fancy dress party who secretly thinks hes hot. Tom Hulce got away with his preposterous but believable Mozart in Amadeus because nobody really knows what Mozart was like - everyone knows or thinks they know the man David Jones who fell to earth as David Bowie. I wonder if he could ever be impersonated, let alone why you'd want to? Really good thoughtful chanel thanks Elliot.

[@nelisezpasce]

Hijacking your comment just to point out how handsome Elliot looks. I feel compelled to say it and make sure someone sees it.

[@foreveralon2234]

You've got to watch 'Velvet Godmine" it's the only good Bowie Biopic because it's not directly about him, more about the general scene, but manages to still get away with not using bowie's music at all. The fictional nature of it actually frees the film in a way.

[@vilma20]

velvet goldmine is one of my absolute favourite films of all time, it's such a fun and unapologetically strange and colorful movie. even though the story actually doesn't have much to do with bowie, it kind of feels like a truer representation of him as a person because of how extravagant and bold it is

[@LiliCanal]

@@vilma20 I completely agree. Velvet Goldmine is a masterpiece! It's so artistic and creative and unique. The fact that the characters are fictional frees the film of the constraints of a biopic. The set design, costuming, acting and soundtrack are PERFECTION. Forever one of my favourite movies. ⚡

[@punkfence801]

I think it's very weird and camp but also has it's flaws. I think the Oscar Wilde storyline is really confusing and poorly executed as well as the fact they use a narrator for like five minutes then kind of forget about it lol. But I love Ewan McGregor as well as Brian Molko so that totally makes up for it! The fashion and overall story is cool too. 6/10 movie.

[@LiliCanal]

@@punkfence801 Agreed, the Oscar Wilde storyline is confusing, but for some reason it fits right into the movie - I love the symbolism of the broach being passed on over the years, and all the "Picture of Dorian Gray" references make sense, since Brian Slade is quite similar to Dorian Gray in a way (the young, beautiful, narcissistic boy obsessed with his own image). As for the opening narration, it didn't really bother me. I don't think it would have been necessary to have the rest of the story narrated (it's already narrated by the different characters). Plus, those opening quotes are fascinating and beautiful and set the dreamy, surreal tone of the film. 🙂

[@foreveralon2234]

@@LiliCanal I think the Oscar Wilde connection is meant to provide a sort of fantasy lineage of queer creators, and having the sort of root of that be the foppish dandy quality of Oscar Wilde and his works adds a layer of intertextuality, akin to the Dorian Gray quotes/allusions. All of it makes up the web that intersects at glam rock and glam culture in the early 70s

[@theunwantedcritic]

I absolutely hate musical Biopics. I’ll tell you why. There’s always a scene where somebody comes up with a song that is nearly completed. He plays it to the band mates and they immediately join in with the finished version of the song that you hear on the record. If anybody saw the Beatles documentary that came out a few months ago called Get back you will see that it took a long time for them to figure out what they were going to play. Some songs he did well over 100 times making little changes here and there before each musician realize what it was that they were actually going to do for the finished version. The idea is that if you are a creative you don’t have to study, you don’t have to go to school, you don’t have to practice. The idea is that it’s some sort of gift from God that you just wake up with one morning. That is not how you create anything! But the idea that it just comes to you stop so many people from being creative. Einstein, who was an asshole said it best: One percent inspiration and 99% perspiration.

[@rabbit__]

Showing a time-lapse for the time needed would be cool, though.

[@FrenkTheJoy]

To be totally fair, who wants to watch a movie that involves people taking 100 tries to write every single song that's in the movie?

[@fawnp1022]

I like the approach from Velvet Goldmine. The absence of Bowie's songs really allows to show other artists from the era and give a legend, magic hallo to Ziggy's life. In the end, that's what glam rock is.

[@JugaJuga14]

I watched it with a friend of mine who didn’t know much about Bowie or the 70’s rock world. The most enjoyable part of the film was explaining to him how wrong everything was and laughing at it.

[@foimah]

I remember back when Stardust was announced and I thought a David Bowie biopic would be interesting and kind of a big deal. Then I completely forgot about it until now.

[@omikinz8254]

THANK YOU AHHH!!! The disrespect in this biopic (if you could even call it that) is nothing like I've ever seen. I can tell you that none, not a single Bowie fan wanted this movie to be made. Not only is it lacking creatively, it just deals with sensitive topics Bowie himself didn't like talking about as well as not wanting a biopic made about his life at all. If they had to go and make a movie about him, why not something animated? Duncan Jones said on twitter that if Neil Gaiman wanted to use his dads characters in an animated film he would support it. That sounds much more like David than whatever this film was going for.

[@Pandamasque]

First off, how on Earth they managed to make JENA MALONE LOOK MORE LIKE DAVID BOWIE in this movie than the actor playing David Bowie?! Perhaps Johnny Flynn should have played the wife? Secondly, once you take out the music and the creative process, you tend to end up with the same set of rock star biopic cliches: the lead portrays a self-entitled artist with a required set of mannerisms and wardrobe who indulges in sex, drugs and alcohol, while alienating friends/family/partners, as well as becoming a victim of the greedy music industry. Once you've see one, you've seen them all. Reminds me a bit of the little Led Zeppelin scene in the series Vinyl, which was otherwise ok, but that scene was beyond embarrassing.

[@thevoid99]

she does look more like bowie than flynn. she could've played bowie but not in a film like this.

[@FrenkTheJoy]

I once saw someone give the opinion that, essentially, jukebox musicals should ONLY be used for musician/band biopics (or stage musicals), and I just thought, why? They all have basically the same plot when you get down to it - someone with dreams works hard, has a slow rise to stardom, faces heartbreak and suffers issues with drugs/alcohol/mental illness but is ultimately remembered for being a famous and/or influential musician who's still celebrated today. Also I 100% agree with her looking more like David Bowie than the guy playing him. I didn't realize that was supposed to be the wife at all, I was like "why are there two David Bowies in this scene"

[@Dragonflower]

I think the icing on this absolutely dreadful cake is the moment we see "Bowie" perform a song called "Good Ol' Jane". They couldn't even get the rights to a Velvet Underground track, so they just had to write a sound-alike that drops a "white light!" in the first verse just to remind you what they're trying to make it sound like.

[@barbarakirk3064]

Was this a reference to Sweet Jane at all?

[@wormywave2220]

If you're looking for a retelling of this period in Bowie's career that isn't completely bull, I highly suggest checking out "Haddon Hall", a graphic novel narrated from the perspective of the titular villa which Bowie was living in at the time. Its got a very Quentin Blake inspired art style and it's just really great and lovingly written.

[@hugocosta9371]

Question: what band do you think really deserves a biopic? For me the Kinks. The rivalry between the Davies brothers would make a really interesting story, not forgeting the music of course. Andrew Garfield would be a great Ray Davies in my opinion and Edgar Wright would be the perfect director.

[@NewFalconerRecords]

I agree. The Kinks' (or more specifically, the Davies brothers) back-story would make a fascinating film in itself (a la 'Nowhere Boy'), the fact that there were something like six sisters before Ray came along and then Dave, and that Ray and Dave lived with different families for a long time, and one of the sisters died suddenly after a night out, and then Dave got a girl pregnant when they were both at school, and then there was Ray's various anxieties and the extended family that had multi-racial elements, yet at the heart of it all the big family musical gatherings around the piano which informed so much of Ray's later work. And then, ultimately, the beginning of the Kinks. The film could end with 'You Really Got Me' being a hit. Hey, let's write it together Hugo!

[@hugocosta9371]

@@NewFalconerRecords and specialy with Edgar Wright as a director with all the editing and movie tricks that he likes to do on his films (not to mention hes a big Kinks fan) i would definetly watch it.

[@NewFalconerRecords]

@@hugocosta9371 I haven't seen 'Sunny Afternoon' the stage musical, I live in Australia and it hasn't got here yet, but it's supposed to be pretty good. I'd be interested in seeing it, but I think our idea is better. Do you have Edgar Wright's number? Don't worry, I'll look it up. 🍻

[@pattheplanter]

I bet there are some interesting incidents in The Incredible String Band story, if anyone can remember them.

[@Gergoth117]

I'd honestly love to see a CCR biopic. I know their mid 60's to early 70's era was pretty turbulent.

[@josemaria8177]

The one and only David Bowie "biopic" I recognize and appreciate is the Bowie Sketch in Snuff Box

[@jimszikk775]

It's a crime not treating Bowie's legacy with care and respect.

[@unclehays750]

I think you might be onto something with a Prince biopic starring Morgan Freeman. It could be one of those movies about making a movie and it would mainly about the director and all the shit he has to deal with making a bad biopic. That could be a pretty funny satire

[@VuotoPneumaNN]

They could have tried to make a movie that was just inspired by Bowie, kind of an all-encompassing mix of glam rock mythology with original music. It could have had fictional protagonists, like some stand-ins for Bowie or Iggy with allusive names... Something like... I don't know... "Brian Slade" or "Kurt Wylde"... That could have been a great movie.

[@zachmorgenstern3243]

I watched biopics of Morrissey and Jimi Hendrix that also didn’t use the music and it just doesn’t work. In theory a musicless biopic of Bowie could work if you did something surreal with his personas, but committing to gritty realism and taking out the songs is working with your hands tied behind your back.

[@medes5597]

To be fair to England Is Mine, its about a period of time where Morrissey wasn't writing music or where we don't know what the music sounded like outside of titles (ie Peppermint Heaven, (I Think I'm) Ready for The Electric Chair, etc). There isn't exactly much you can do. The film basically ends just as Morrissey's known work begins. Although that awful attempt at Smiths-sound-alike instrumental at the end needs to go. The music that is in the film is all music Morrissey talked about, has used in playlists or is even on his Under the Influence compilation which is songs that inspired him. I think you can make the case for that film doing what it can. However outside of that, I agree entirely on the Hendrix one.

[@zachmorgenstern3243]

@@medes5597 I could see it being of more interest to someone who knew his biography really well, for sure! I guess my point is that rockstars aren't inherently interesting people, and that by portraying Steven before he was Morrissey (they even downplayed his vegetarianism, despite that being a trait they could have worked with), there was nothing engaging about him as a character: only the knowledge that he would one day become a famous person.

[@medes5597]

@@zachmorgenstern3243 yeah I probably have more time for England is Mine as a huge Morrissey fan (music wise, I think current day Morrissey is an awful person) but there's a lot that they left on the table - Morrissey's girlfriend (who is credited on the first smiths record and was around during the period of the film), his very broken relationship with his father, his aunt who he was devoted to, his friend who committed suicide, Linder sterling's band, his writing three books, etc. It feels like they stripped out the most interesting stories for whatever reason. I agree. I think these kind of biopics are intensely interesting to devoted fans who have mythologised the biography of these artists but that's a very small cult. To people who may enjoy the music but aren't as devoted or casual fans it's just a movie about an uninteresting person before they became interesting.

[@gregdeibert8677]

Johnny Flynn is actually a phenomenal musician himself. One of my favorites. Definitely check out his work!

[@ytuser_3122]

David Bowie never even wanted a biopic made on him, which I think is dumb given how much of an icon he is! Johnny Flynn doesn’t even look like the late singer, IF they made a biopic on him, they should’ve cast Tilda Swinton.

[@xdproductions3087]

I want a miniseries biopic on Bowie. Each episode could focus on a different period of his life. Perhaps early days in London, the Hermione and Space Oddity period, Spiders era, Soul tour and time in LA, Berlin period, serious moonlight and/or Labyrinth period, Meeting Reeves and Tin Machine, Iman and BT/WN, Outside and Earthling phase, Toy and reconnecting with Visconti, Twilight years. I want full blessing of his family so we get a healthy dose of both hits and deep cuts.

[@GlennDavey]

LOL is this the one that couldn't use his music? This movie's shorts looked like if YOU made a David Bowie biopic in your house on iPhone. It's amazing to me how many bad ideas get made.

[@jessicacarolbyrne]

Subscribed after the 2007’s ‘Stardust’ freaking blast cut to Robert de Niro segment!😂😂

[@mistertv9930]

The only reason I knew this film even existed was listening to Marc Maron talking about it on his podcast. I sensed that in his heart of hearts, he knew it wasn’t a success on a creative level, but couldn’t say as much. Also, Maron has a natural full head of hair, so putting him in a ridiculous Spinal Tap wig just exemplified the many wrong choices made here.

[@cremetangerine82]

I know that Marc Maron has always talked about how he really wanted David Bowie to be on his podcast. With the podcast he did after Bowie‘s death, his sorrow is absolutely palpable while talking about him. I’m sure he wanted to be involved with this project because of his love of David Bowie‘s music, but unfortunately he wound up in a turd pile of a movie. I stand by Elliott Roberts in his “Yesterday” movie dislike,. 7:13 - Please don’t give Hollywood any more ideas, Elliott!

[@melvert33]

Yeah I really liked his Maron tv series but this does look pretty bad.

[@thealpacaa]

I love your videos man. You don't just hate on movies you dislike, you showcase the good, and criticise the bad. And your well-written scripts combined with your soothing voice gives these videos such a great, relaxing flow. Can't wait for the next one

[@tqft]

EXACTLY!!!!!

[@kcjc]

Despite being a pretty big Bowie fan I honestly didn’t hear about this movie until last month

[@glazdarklee1683]

Brilliant review. Also pleased that you referenced "Walk Hard," and acknowledged that "Stardust," at least, didn't really follow that template. Of course, I should stress that I would totally watch a movie in which Morgan Freeman played Prince.

[@BlueEyedMatt42]

Oh man, I was so so excited about this movie! I had been waiting for a biopic for ages! No, no I wasn’t. If you want a biography on Bowie listen to all of his albums in order. Literally a reflection from birth to death.

[@theneonchimpchannel9095]

I have seen it. As a period piece about an up and coming rock star, it's not that bad. As a film about David Bowie, it fails miserably. For a start, the actor looks and sounds nothing like him. Then the lack of Bowie's songs is a huge issue as this was at a time where he was known as a singer/songwriter, his more folky era. If you watch it as a light hearted romp about a struggling young musician then it's an okay film. The film is now out on DVD and at the JB HiFi where I work, I think we got in about 6 copies...none of which had sold as of Friday and they'd been on display for about a month. However, I don't think the DVD cover is helping it's sales as it's not that obvious what it's about. Also, there's already at least 2 other films with the same title (the fantasy film and the one starring David Essex) and it doesn't really make sense anyway as it's not a film about Ziggy Stardust or even that era. If they had the rights to his music, maybe they could have called it The Man Who Sold The World or Hunky Dory or Changes, something that actually connects to that era. The Man Who Sold The World would be a great title from a DVD sales point of view as it would be very near The Man Who Fell To Earth on the shelf and thus would be likely to get more attention from people interested in Bowie. Stardust is just after Star Trek and Star Wars. But as for the film itself, I enjoyed it a lot more than Bohemian Rhapsody, mostly because the Bowie character was still at least likeable enough, even though the performance was WAY off.

[@NewFalconerRecords]

I love 'Stardust' with David Essex, and more-so it's previous film 'That'll Be The Day'. Ringo was so good in the first one.

[@theneonchimpchannel9095]

As of today, we have sold 1 copy of Stardust that I'm aware of.

[@piggy201]

I got confused a little by the sweatiness, but then I realized "Oh, Australia has summer now".

[@brandonmclendon5368]

Johnny Flynn looks like Ben Platt in the Dear Evan Hansen movie

[@dontbefatuousjeffrey2494]

In a sense... although I always think grown people playing teenagers is for the win when it comes to uncanny/creepy territory 😕

[@Pokemanic33]

When you said we might not know this movie existed, and you sure weren't kidding. I knew about an in-the-works David Bowie biopic that wasn't legally allowed to use any Bowie music, but I assumed it would be eternally locked in development hell.

[@lichtfilme]

Hey Elliot, speaking of biopics that weren’t allowed to use one piece of the artists actual work: have you BASQUIAT by Julian Schnabel? It’s my favourite biopic. Schnabel is a painer in his own right and knew basquiat personally, he’s also being portrayed in the film (by Gary Oldman) and because basquiats father wouldn’t agree to the actual paintings being used, Schnabel painted loads on the style of basquiat. You should check it out if you haven’t seen it! David Bowie as Andy Warhol.

[@nesquikwit]

they made bowie look like sharon osborne with that red wig😭

[@jeremykrane4855]

i feel really bad for the guy who played david bowie imagine getting the big break of playing one of the most influential music artists of the 70s, only to be given a half-hearted script that doesn’t even contain any bowie written songs. it’s depressing once you think about it.

[@steveschellbach7367]

Excellent video as always :) 'Nowhere Boy' features two Beatle compositions though, 'In Spite of all the Danger' and 'Hello Little Girl'.

[@ElliotRobertsVideos]

Very true! Although I more meant post-60s/signed to record company Beatles music.

[@jamesdean9183]

Thank you for this!! I’ve been waiting for someone to review this film. Honestly the first watch was awful. I hated it. It’s definitely not what David Bowie deserves, but honestly at times it’s an entertaining watch. Still a garbage movie as far as Bowie content goes, but honestly Ron’s character makes for some pretty entertaining moments If you want another film that draws a lot of inspiration from Bowie (so much that David Bowie sued the film for it taking too much inspiration from his life) I’d recommend the film Velvet Goldmine. That’s a so much better film

[@thebasedgodmax1163]

velvet goldmine is a masterpiece imo, and it works so well because it's not meant to be a david bowie biopic, it's a queer glam rock sendup using characters based on real people. especially the bowie soundalike songs that had to be used

[@jamesdean9183]

@@thebasedgodmax1163 I know the songs written for the film like “Ballad of Maxwell Demon” are AWESOME songs that we need on Spotify

[@Rachel-cr6ov]

YES omg it's one of my favorite movies of all time, and it's such a nuanced look at the entire glam rock genre and (more importantly) what it meant to queer kids at the time

[@jamesdean9183]

@@Rachel-cr6ov I’m so glad to know other people know Velvet Goldmine exists, Brian Slade is my icon😂

[@bronzeecho]

@@jamesdean9183 curt wild is my icon ewan mcgregor was everything in velvet goldmine he put his whole c*ck into that performance

[@Pn1251]

You gotta do a full video on Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s been brewing for some time now.

[@Lucy-wy9tq]

if you want a great semi-ethical bowie biopic you gotta watch Velvet Goldmine by Todd Haynes! its a fictional story about a "bowie-esque" muscian and its got ewan mcgregor playing the iggy pop stand in! Todd Haynes truly is one of the only directors who should be allowed to make biopics since he has a great track record. I'm Not Here about bob dylan, Velvet Goldmine about Bowie (more about what bowie represented to the people imo), and his more obscure yet heartbreaking documentary about Karen Carpenter.

[@R.B.564]

*Haynes. And yeah, sorry to be that guy, but he is indeed a great director, so you might as well get his name right. His recent Velvet Underground documentary is also pretty good, although as a fan you won't learn that many new things, and it can also be a tad too hagiographic at times. Still: it's also visually interesting, so it's recommended if you're into the Velvets.

[@sandralynnsparks3468]

Thanks for this. I wasn't going to watch. I am a Johnny Flynn music fan. And when I heard he was signed to play David Bowie, I thought, oh boy, will he regret this job. But it was time for the inevitable to happen. No actor in the world gets lucky and always takes a good job. I remember taking friends to see one of my other friends' first American film and thanking me for the invite to share Thanksgiving turkey. My friend defended doing that film as well, because who wants to admit having bad performance out there? At least mine happened on stages, thankfully unfilmed, with a small (one time 1 person) audience. It sucks. But as I waited for the Bowie film anyway, to see how it would be received, I couldn't imagine how they were going to pull this off. You reported everything I felt sure could go wrong. Especially that none of the family could possibly back this. I used to run into Angela when she lived in Atlanta in the 1990s. Mostly because we often took the same Marta train, but once or twice at parties. Terrific strong willed woman. The only clip I saw of the film version, the trailer last year, had - what? 3 seconds of her being weak and whiny? Zero Angela Bowie. And Johnny is, with his usual way of being only himself underneath any character, was zero David. I didn't spend much time with Bowie's music because I played in a completely different circle of music. As Johnny does. But David Bowie was an excellent actor as well, and I have seen a lot of his film work. The most I can be glad about is that nobody could pull off making Stardust as well received as Bohemian Rhapsody. A feat I will never, ever understand. I agree about Love and Mercy. Fascinating. But nothing, for me, beats two music bio pic films. Sissy Spacek's "Coal Miner's Daughter," or Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in "Ray." Or for documentary music, "Get Back" and "The Last Waltz."

[@johannaelloso9418]

For music biopics, I recommend "Control" which is about Joy Division. It's an indie film and it's not a "great film" but the way the film and the actor portrays Ian Curtis and his mental struggles is amazing which is why I like it

[@redlumb953]

A far superior 'Stardust' film is the David Essex film from 1974 - sequel to the superbly authentic film 'That'll Be the Day'.

[@NewFalconerRecords]

Love 'em both. David Essex nailed the character of Jim McLain in both movies, at once likeable but ruthless as well. Ringo Starr was brilliant. Adam Faith, Keith Moon... The two women who played his partners in each (the working-class one in 'That'll Be the Day' and the hot French one in 'Stardust') were spot-on. Larry Hagman completely stole every scene he was in -- he chewed up the scenery, over-the-top but so entertaining.

[@N999OON]

Man, this is gutting. I love Johnny Flynn, his music means a lot to me and I loved his performance in Genius, but good lord was this bad. I agree that he should get some PR coaching for whatever he works on next, I'm just gonna label this as a massive misstep, he did not know how to defend this movie

[@mahatmarandy5977]

This is reminding me of a film, "The Last Ride," about the last week or so of Hank William's life. It mostly consists of a mediocre-at-best representation of Hank in the back seat of a car, being driven from gig to gig by a chaufer, getting in minor bar brawls and hitting on girls and, phew, I don't even think they had permission to play any HW songs in it (It's been a while since I saw it, so I can't remember exactly) but, yeah, your review reminded me of that.

[@andybyrd4107]

Reminds me of the TERRIBLE Jimi Hendrix biopic All Is By My Side which also didn't manage to license any of his songs. Which includes, amongst other things, a scene of Hendrix beating his girlfriend with a telephone receiver, which the actual woman its based on, who is still alive, says never happened.

[@MayorOfEarth79]

I was curious about this movie because Mark Kermode hated it so much and broke it down as "The Naffest naff that ever naffed."

[@jordanhedington2421]

So glad you did a video on this movie. I was just puzzled when I saw the trailer, then it just didn’t seem to come out. I was wondering just how bad it really was

[@eraserhd79]

I'm intrigued by your Morgan Freeman as Prince biopic. You cracked me up with that. Another great video my man. Keep up the good work! Cheers!

[@CosmicLacuna]

Thank you for enduring this to let us mildly curious fans know how truly terrible it was. I refuse to see it cos Bowie didn’t want it. Also what did Flynn expect from such a large fan base? Bowie shaped our lives and he acts like he should be praised for just being cast haha.

[@professionalnerd4055]

can't wait until the Timothee Chalomet Bob Dylan biopic comes out and this guy reviews it it's gonna be wild

[@amilederdnaxela]

That´s great! Nice video. I´ll stick to the tittle´s advice. : ) Next, maybe you could talk about some of the BEST biopics. I love "Control" (about Joy Division) and "What we do it´s secret" (about The Germs). Also "Good Vibrations" (not Beach Boys) and "24 Hour Party People" or "Sons of Norway" are very interesting music period pieces.

[@euphospug]

Great choices. Good Vibrations is fantastic. I also liked "Creation Stories" too.

[@karin8378]

I laughed out loud (read: CACKLED) several times during this video 😂 your content just keeps on getting better and better! Great work

[@Pug248]

Always insightful when it comes to the artists. Love your work!

[@MrBeachMadness]

If they had just changed the names of the characters so it was clearly BASED on the life of David Bowie, but wasn't actually about him, this would have been a much better film. The context of this being a biopic is what made it unwatchable. I could see this film succeeding with the same script and cast, but using other music from the same era. Sort of like "Velvet Goldmine"

[@heathernks8]

I am such a die-hard Bowie fan, that his gorgeous eyes are my channel banner. And this film was an abomination. It should never have been made, imho. Thanks for the fantastic review!

[@leahwaters-katz761]

I truly hope Duncan is able to organize an animated film that depicts different facets and eras of Bowie through different animation and stories and time periods - and of course with his music. I think that will be the most true to Bowie way to tell a story about him through the film medium.

[@pattheplanter]

I hope they are freaky enough to use "Bowie's in Space" by the Flight of the Conchords.

[@barbarakirk3064]

Adam Buxton did a programme about his time as a Bowie fan on 6 Music, including sketches about what may have happened in Bowie's history, e.g. the making of the Low album. These sketches are on KZbin in animated form.

[@ellamcdonald4073]

ur easily my favourite KZbinr, i audibly gasped when i saw this pop up on my recommendations xx

[@samuelosborne4366]

I bumped into Johnny Flynn in London last month and he told me never to watch this movie ahaha

[@NewFalconerRecords]

Jimi Hendrix bio pics have suffered a similar fate to this in that no one will give the rights to any of his music away. That semi-recent one with Andre 3000/Benjamin was sooo boring, and yet I thought Andre captured a lot of Jimi's speech patterns and hipness really well, and he really looked the part, as did the supporting cast. There were a couple more before that in which they could also only have him playing the songs he didn't write like 'Wild Thing', 'Hey Joe' and 'All Along the Watchtower', 'the rest of the time he was just doing a lot of wild free-form feedback on stage. It's hard to tell the story of an original artist when you can't let the most important part of the story -- i.e: their own songs -- become part of it. I personally enjoyed Bohemian Rhapsody for what it was, and a lot of that was because the songs helped drive the story along in an entertaining way. You're pushing it uphill when you don't have license to the songs.

[@thatbillyrollgoblin]

im so happy I found this page im also a nerd for biopics, id love to see you do like a top 10 of 80s biopics, stuff like la bamba & great balls of fire, or even the little richard movie from 2000

[@cocoluv29]

Looking at the photos of Bowie so young, I can see a really strong resemblance in Hunter Schaffer she looks so much like him!

[@edwardjons8684]

This actually made me want to see the film! Biopics that evade the usual expectations are always more interesting to me.

[@Galantski]

I couldn't find the run time for _Stardust,_ Elliot, but I suspect it could well be summed up as a cinematic analog of Ambrose Bierce's quip about how a book he reviewed had _covers that were too far apart._ Put another way, I imagine there is much more entertainment value in the 12+ minutes of your critique than in that movie's entirety. And Rotten Tomatoes summed up its opinion this way: "Ground control to Major Tom, _Stardust_ did not put its helmet on." 🤣

[@mandyschmidt7960]

Oh please do a worst to best albums video on Bowie, I love you're opinions as a music lover and musician and all the background info you put in those videos. Looking forward to the George one, really enjoyed the Lennon and Macca ones.

[@gabrielledebourg2487]

There is ONE biopic about Bowie I'd like to see, or rather, not just about Bowie, but about him and Iggy. I'd love a movie about the pair set in Berlin, during the sessions of either Lust for Life or "Heroes" and make it a sort of Linklater hang-around movie, about the two of them trying to kick their habits, making music and their friendship. To make it even better, it could probably be set during the course of a day.

[@Elizafoust]

I saw it around the same time it came out. I thought the casting was really weird, but I forgave it pretty quickly. I think I was just so desperate for any Bowie content, I’d be willing to watch whatever. I liked the mental health sub plot because it mirrors my experience growing up in a mentally unwell home. I can relate to the fear that it might come for me next. My comment is a personal take based on a narrow perspective, not a piece of media criticism. Love your videos!

[@joenouveau7109]

Fun fact: they planned to do a sequel!

[@nc5809]

So glad I found your channel!

[@mitchweissman5045]

Never even heard of it! Now I've gotta see it for myself. Or maybe not! Lol Oh, and that graphic about "Mark Moron driving Bowie around." Hysterical! Love your take on this Elliot.

[@moshambles]

Shame Johnny got involved, he's a great songwriter, musician and seems like a really nice fella

[@max101victory]

I love how this guy gets upset over Rami Malek singing...even though he didn't do any of the singing.

[@hilarymiseroy3251]

If I come across Stardust on DVD in a charity shop costing 50p then I might buy it. I wouldn't pay a pound though.

[@RedRosesDead07]

I did see it. That's it. Terrific poster, I concur. I'm not sure why this video popped up as a recommended BUT I'm hooked. Going to check out all of your stuff.

[@frogonhead]

I’m a massive Bowie fan and wasn’t too excited to watch this movie when it came out since i figured it was another movie riding on the biopic trend from BR/Rocketman... the concept was really commendable, but the way it was executed made me want to rip my hair out. The highlights were really only the surface-level references/gags to things like some Hunky Dory tracks or the Laughing Gnome, but even those fell flat for me. It’s not a pretty film, it’s not enjoyable on its own, and it has enough flaws in plot and portrayal that it honestly deserves to be forgotten about. (On the bright side, at least it didn’t take place in 1975)

[@johnlennon8111]

I was waiting for this video.

[@charlesselden2058]

holy shit you're back

[@dumpwoodhere]

Yesterday is an appauling film and I honestly believe that if those songs had come out with that guy singing them they would have sunk without a trace and never be heard again. Also it had Sheeran the antichrist bubbling his way through it.

[@olly3231]

Omg, I was hoping you would make this video

[@anabellelei8540]

Huge Bowie fan, I watched it. Oh, what a steaming pile. There were times I was embarrassed for Flynn, I mean the lines were so contrived, I just felt pity.

[@laurenrogers]

If we got Benedict Cumberbatch playing David in a Thin White Duke or forward era biopic I would be freaking thrilled

[@Sand-Walker13]

I'd like to see that.

[@JacobHirsch]

Dude. I love your videos. Keep it up with all this great content!

[@BeliaLastes]

Glad I saw your video explaining this David Bowie bio joke of a film Stardust because I had heard about it but never saw anything about it showing in theaters or even about it on DVD... Glad to see that it's not worth spending money to get the DVD or even watch it in the movie theater.... I liked and subbed to your channel 👍👍

[@slowdancers]

I happened to see it (not on theaters though, lmao) after someone I know wrote a raving review of it, and I was curious because I had seen Duncan's tweets and thought "hmm, can't be That Bad, can it?" Wish I hadn't been curious at all... I wrote a lengthy review of it on Letterboxd, but basically it's everything you said here in the video: Totally atrocious from beginning to end, poorly made (Remember the non-existent lighting during any interior scenes? Yuck), and has a half-assed script that is brought down even further by the bizarre and lacklustre performances from everyone in the cast. It's just... crap. Not even funny crap, just pure shit with no real rhyme or reason to exist! I've read bad fan fictions with more substance in them than this movie has. Surprised you didn't mention the catastrophic New York scenes because I still have nightmares about them... You're a better person than me in that regard! Kudos for this video, this is absolutely not worth anyone's time, money or energy, especially if they're a Bowie fan.

[@kingfield99]

It's been years since I've seen it, but I remember enjoying 'Velvet Goldmine' at the time, although in retrospect it may be rubbish.

[@dontbefatuousjeffrey2494]

It's not a bad film and the cast is excellent, but it annoyed me for the way it really leant into the "Angie was his victim/he chewed everyone up and spat them out" angle. It ultimately seemed to be a film made by a guy who really resented Bowie's actual period of true commercial success (Let's Dance) as a total sell-out move - I mean, the man is literally unrecognisable by that stage. It's definitely inferior to I'm Not There, which the same director later made about Dylan. Honestly hard for me to believe the same man created both films😕

[@user-wo7ke2tn9g]

This just ended up in my recommendeds, and I couldn't be happier! Thanks for sharing this entertaining and carefully worded criticism. Even though the video is about a far less than stellar movie, I still felt the positive vibes. I'm looking forward to your future videos!

[@amandaerikzon388]

I’m a huge Bowie fan, I watched this because I felt like I had to back when it came out and I was absolutely furious. Glad you’re talking abt it!

[@erinwiggins1261]

I did see this (not in theatres). And you’re right. It was fucking boring. And I kept wanting to smack the shit out of Bowie. Like, you wanna be famous, so just give a simple interview so people will play your records! There’s eccentricity and then there’s being weird just to be weird. And that’s how he was portrayed. Velvet Goldmine was supposed to be a Bowie pic, but he said no. You think he was any more into it after dying? Velvet Goldmine, however, is far superior to this tripe.

[@clivemclachlan4689]

Thank you because I did not want to watch that movie

[@wulfbuoygarwalfey3582]

12:08 “-the way he boldly surprised his audience at every turn-“ and then you cut to the diamond dogs full cover. great editing choice

[@docholiday745]

Nice video, as always! I know pretty much nothing about David Bowie, but after watching your entire Paul McCartney album roundup, I’ll watch pretty much anything you put out :)

[@ytuser_3122]

Learning about David Bowie is the greatest rabbit hole I fell into, how I wish I could’ve met him…