Hey folks, Harry here... Our good friend Mastidon is off in Berlin... along with Tim League and a goodly portion of the Fantastic Fest programming team scouting for material - Hopefully we'll get some excellent reports from this outstanding film festival. AICN is presenting SHINE A LIGHT at SXSW this year - and it's nice to hear just how good this is... like there was a doubt.

SHINE A LIGHT
Director: Martian Scorsese
Starring: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Charlie Watts, and Martian Scorsese
With special appearances by: Bill Clinton, Buddy Guy, Jack White, and Christina Aguilera
Release dates: USA April 4th, UK April 11th

Hi Guys,

Mastidon here just having returned from my southern migration to Antarctica. If you are curious what I was up to, you can check out some of my videos here (Click Here). Anyway, I am now back in the northern hemisphere to bring you all of the scopes from the Berlinale Festival.

For the first time in the 58 year history of the Berlin Film Festival, a non-fiction film opened it. With SHINE A LIGHT, Scorsese marks his return to concert film since the filming of THE LAST WALTZ just over 30 years ago. In case you live on a different planet (or just don't like Rock), THE LAST WALTZ changed everything about how concert movies are made. Using normal cinema techniques with multiple cameras to film and with no crazy special effects of color or mirroring, it defined modern music cinema reflected in pretty much every concert film since then. In short, almost every critic out there calls it the best concert movie ever made or at least the best Rock film. So the question stands, does SHINE A LIGHT surpass it to become the new king of music cinema? Sadly, no. And I will tell you why in just a minute...

But first, some background on my history with The Rolling Stones so you know I have a little idea as to what I'm talking about - but just a little. The first time I saw Mick and the boys was while I was in college in 1989. They came to Atlanta and played Georgia Tech. As a student there, I was sold a ticket in the next to last row on the floor. I used all of my powers of social engineering and ended up second row center right in front of Mick. The second time I saw them was at the Georgia Dome from a stadium seat on the side. Most disappointing and vowed I would never see them live again. Like all good promises, I broke it last year to take a buddy of mine to see them. He qualifies as the world's biggest Stones fan having got to hang out and party with them for several months while they toured Europe in the mid 80s. I owed him a big favor so I bought us front row stage left tickets on EBay. 18 years after I saw them the first time, how good could they have been? They are old right? Keith having fallen out of a palm tree and looking even closer to death than usual. Was this just another concert to ask for more cash for some of the richest guys on the planet? Well, I was blown away. BY FAR, the best Rolling Stones concert I saw. And this was the basis for SHINE A LIGHT.

SHINE A LIGHT was filmed at New York City's Beacon Theater on November 1st, 2006. A far cry away from the giant stadiums they usually play. A very intimate setting with none of the giant props. Just pure Rock & Roll. SHINE A LIGHT markets itself as a film featuring lots of interviews, new and old intermixed with the concert footage. That my friends is bad marketing. Its anything but that. Interviews make up at most 10% of the film. Don't be fooled, this is a Rolling Stones concert. There is no new great insight into the band and how they work and play together. Just plane and simple raw music - an all-out typical blood sweat and tears performance. With that I give you the set list (what I can remember from it anyway)....

**** Its a surprise and I won't spoil it as it is the basis for the first 10 minutes of the film

Shattered
She Was Hot
Loving Cup (with Jack White)
As Tears Go By
Some Girls
(Just My) Imagination
Far Away Eyes
Champagne & Reefer (with Buddy Guy)
You Got The Silver (performed by Keith)
Connection (performed by Keith intermixed with interviews)
Sympathy For The Devil
Live With Me (with Christina Aguilera)
Start Me Up (Forever a Windows '95 ad in my mind - damn you Bill Gates)
Brown Sugar (encore)
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (encore)

So why does it not surpass THE LAST WALTZ? From the opening line of "This film should be played loud!", the tone was set. I missed that line here and wish this one opened with the same. This movie is meant to be played LOUD. I was hoping that SHINE A LIGHT took the experience closer to what its like to actually be at a Stones concert. Marty had 16 cameras to choose from this time where in THE LAST WALTZ, he had only 7 and some of them didn't work for part of the time. The end result is I lost the feeling of being at the show as opposed to watching an MTV video with lots of cuts and camera angels. THE LAST WALTZ was brilliant in the way it made you feel like you were there. I just didn't get that here. And I certainly didn't feel the music. Any cinema that shows this needs a good sound system with appropriate base. The other problem was quite frankly the guest stars were good but not on par. Buddy Guy is amazing but Muddy Waters was even more so. Jack White was also great but compared to Eric Clapton or Dylan, just not in the same league. And last but not least was Christina Aguilera who certainly is no Joni Mitchell. She seemed like she was there for the sole purpose of Mick to feel her up. The rest of the band seemed like they didn't want to have anything to do with her. One of the amazing things about the THE LAST WALTZ was that it featured every popular type of music at the time and offered something for everyone. This film simply does not. Its designed for Stones fans.

What's good about SHINE A LIGHT is for anybody who has ever wanted to see the Rolling Stones live but could never afford to do so now gets to see just how amazing these guys are with no props, no sound editing, just performing. The other amazing thing about it is that when 30 years from now when they finally stop touring, there will be a visual record of how great these guys were years after anybody thought they could do it. SHINE A LIGHT will also hold up as a record of how strong they really were and how much energy and work Jagger puts into each and every show.

If you are a Stones fan, this movie earned its 5 stars from its opening number. Its an absolute must see. If you are a casual fan, its a 3 1/2 star event. If you just don't like them or are indifferent towards them, stay far, far away. Personally, I love the Rolling Stones and for me I can't wait to see it again. I heard it will be out on IMAX so I can only hope the IMAX gods bring it to my area. One final note, thanks to Harry I was able to have full press credentials for the festival. This allowed me into the press conference where the whole band and Marty attended. I was even lucky enough to ask a question. I don't have time to transcribe it now but will get it up for you after the festival. Its very entertaining. I have many more surprises for you from the festival including the directorial debut by the queen of pop.

Ciao from Berlin,

-Mastidon

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