Gimme Danger (2016)

Just perfect...

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The acting in this movie is really good.

I've seen the movie two times within 3 weeks with two friends of mine who didn't know much about The Stooges but they were like "well OK, whatever". After the movie they had bright eyes and were totally excited and happy that I invited them. That says it all. I enjoyed it the second time even more.I'll start with a few of the negatives: I really missed some details about Iggy's time with Bowie in Berlin. I think it was a really productive and important part of Iggy's life and had an influence not only on him but on the band. On the other hand there were some scenes which I would have left out: for example the part with John Wayne or some stories about the trailer. They didn't add anything to the story. The music wasn't really in focus here so someone who doesn't know them, won't love their music after this nor will know anything about the process of making music, except a few details.Now the positive side: I love the fact that this is a documentary about The Stooges and not about Iggy Pop. He is a unique, eccentric figure, but he doesn't steal the show. Every member of the band share their stories and I was really happy to see and hear the Ashtons before they passed away. Jarmusch focuses on the history of the era, the history of The Stooges and the personal stories behind the stage and on stage. I adore him for not asking 200 critics and some distanced relatives to talk about them. He asks only people who were either in the band or in a close relationship with the band.I love The Stooges and I knew some things about them besides their music but Gimme Danger had some new information to share, it does a great job in organizing 40 years in 2 Hours, which is not a walk in the park, it was genuinely funny and sometimes also touching. The parts in the second half where the band comes together were like that. It was moving to see 50-60 year olds, some of them in a bad condition to be happy as a child because the band is together again. It was heartwarming watching Ashton play the drums for the last time. These guys didn't care much about the big money, they just wanted to play music. It doesn't matter that their lost their way, they always find a path somehow to play again. Overall Gimme Danger has some weaknesses but I would watch it over and over again, because it does justice in portraying The Stooges. It is also unique, because most of them are not with us and it would have been a huge missed opportunity to not interview them for the last time.

In my youth I did not seek out Iggy & The Stooges. They did not get much play even on the so- called "progressive" FM station I heard so much great music on in my teens. On occasion I'd read something regarding the band in a music magazine, but they flew below my radar and it was not until decades later I discovered I liked a few of their tracks. Apparently there were more of me than I knew as it took quite a bit of time for the band to be regarded as highly influential. So, here, almost 50 years, after the first banding of what would become The Stooges were formed there is this quite personal Jim Jarmusch film telling the band's story. As a rock music fan I had enough interest to seek it out. It was interesting and informative as to why they still sell records and acquire new fans. This was a band that was extremely unique with an iconic frontman. They obviously had it even tougher than The Ramones, another influential band that never quite got the sales or adulation they deserved while they were actually a band. The fact they survived for several reunions and found greater success so belated is almost equal to the power of the music which ultimately survives. They have finally got both critical and fan recognition. I'd say it is story than you don't have to particularly care for their music to find interest in. That is a pretty strong recommendation. I like rock music especially the best of the sixties and seventies, and I understand something I missed in that time now with more clarity. Sometimes being so different means the world at large needs time to catch up.

Jarmush's passion to making films is insatiable and unmistakable. Gimme Danger opens with Iggy Pop sitting in a chair , interview style in a trailer home. Almost immediately you get sucked in the story , and you just watch what unfolds. Basically Iggy narrates the story , while various related archive footage is shown on screen. The greatness of this music documentary is that it isn't stiff. Jarmush is playful in his selection of footage, and many scenes are pure comedy. There's oldie movies from the 30's and 40's shown , there's hilarious animation , and of course archive footage from the Stooges and other musicians related to the story. I found Gimme Danger very entertaining and a successful music documentary , since you do learn about the band through this , you get a sense of their style as individuals and how they worked. I have to mention that Iggy Pop's speaking is very down to earth, very humble and true and to be honest I didn't expect such an abusive person to still have his mind on his shoulders. I was wrong though and that was also a pleasant surprise. It won't disappoint either fans or non fans who just feel like watching this.

"Gimme Danger" (2016 release; 108 min.) is a documentary about the Stooges. As the movie opens, we are in 1973, with the band in a free fall and ready to call it a day, as we get Iggy, Steve MacKay, and other to comment about how bad it was. Pop, then 24 years old, moved back in with his parents in their trailer, After the movie's opening credits, we then go back in time, and we see the humble Ann Arbor roots of these guys, and the even humbler beginnings of the Iguanas and later the Stooges.Couple of comments: this is the latest movie directed by indie film maker Jim Jarmusch. Here he brings the story of the Stooges, as told to us by the band members themselves, although let's be clear: Iggy gets most of the screen time. Turns out Iggy is quite funny and self-depreciating, certainly as to the early years, when he switch from drums ("I got tired of looking at butts", ha!) to singer and front man. It is quite amazing how the Stooges' sound evolved from the early avant-garde sound (Iggy: "it was like an airplane taking off") to the punk sound of the latter days (the "Raw Power" album). The footage is okay but there is surprisingly not much high quality concert footage (one of the better clips is the classic from their 1970 set at the Cincinnati Pop Festival where Iggy smears peanut butter all over himself while he is crowd-surfing). The lack of high quality footage is more than compensated by the gazillion pictures, which frankly suit the legacy of the Stooges better than the archival footage. The documentary thankfully spends little to no time explaining the 3 decades between the 1973 demise and the 2003 "reunification" (as Iggy terms it, "it's NOT a reunion"), and even the years since 2003 are dealt with in 10-15 minutes. The documentary smartly focused on the key years in the late 60s and early 70s, and that is what makes it so enjoyable to watch. No major revelations, just a solid look at the Stooges. As of course Iggy has the documentary's last words: "I don't wanna be metal, I don't wanna be alternative, I don't want to be punk. I just wanna be"."Gimme Danger" premiered at the Cannes film festival earlier this years, and finally opened at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati this weekend. I couldn't wait to see it. The Friday early evening screening where I saw this at was not attended well (2 other guys besides myself), but I know this: all three of us laughed a lot and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, Hopefully "Gimme Danger" can find a wider audience via Amazon Instant Video and eventually on DVD/Blu-ray. If you are a fan of music and music history, you don't want to miss this. "Gimme Danger" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!