NOTE: Both content warnings in this video have incorrect timestamps. The (skip to) timestamp at 34:05 should be 35:13, and at 38:31 it should be 39:18. So sorry about that!
@@ImSchrodingerCat That's the point. If your mocking biopic's historical accuracy and you're actually much more accurate than any of them, that's f'ed up
@DeviemTwen There are filler moments mixed with true moments in every biopic. You shouldn't go into watching any movie thinking it's all recreation of true events. Someone shouting about something isn't making a point, they are just making noise.
I really appreciate the thorough tearing apart of the Queen movie. I love Queen's music and Freddie Mercury as well. From what I've seen of his interviews, he came off as someone who was witty, caring, playful, and he also said multiple times that he viewed the band as an equal unit where all four of them mattered. He even told an interviewer "Stop that shit!" (albeit in a joking manner but still) when she asked him: "What are their names again?" Brian May even once called Freddie the "peacemaker" when fights would break out in the band. I know I didn't know Freddie personally, obviously, and of course he was a flawed human being. But, at the very least, he didn't seem like someone who really wanted to run the show for the entire band. It bothers me that his bandmates allowed him to be portrayed as a villian, and also that the movie really didn't give much time to the development of his relationship with Jim Hutton, which wouldn't bother me so much if the movie hadn't spent so much time making it seem like his, for lack of a better term, "straight" relationship was the only good one he had. I get that the remaining band members didn't have a say in every little thing, but it feels so disrespectful to portray their bandmate and friend in a way that seems so far off from reality.
@brittneybrisbin744 I am a huge fan of Queen and Freddie Mercury as well and I would never go into any movie thinking it's all going to be true. Moments are true and the remaining members ultimately have control of their content, as they should. Someone shouting about something isn't making a point, they are just making noise.
@@crazy1234573 Did you actually watch the segment? It's not just random inaccuracies, but outright makes Freddie the villain of his own movie, completely mischaracterizes him, and demonizes him in comparison to his bandmates-- who participated in the same shit need I remind you-- AND the way it's set up makes his AIDS diagnosis a punishment for his queerness, making his only "good" and "important" relationship, the straight one. It completely neglects the true story of Freddie and Jim Hutton in favor of Mary. It's far from the film Freddie deserves. Modern Queen has become an absolute mockery and I'm tired of pretending they haven't lost the plot.
@dx.feelgood5825 Not once did I call anything random inaccuracies...but okay. I am not going to argue a difference of opinion either. I feel, in the movie, they all came off as spoiled and entitled at certain points. I also don't think this movie was a "Freddie Mercury story". It was all about the music. The music that all 4 band members created. Together. During the Aids crisis people were treated as if it was a punishment for being gay. That was a product of that time. People were ridiculed and treated awful, even by their own families. Again, that was of that time period. I also think the relationship with Freddie's family and Mary were handled quite well. Again. A matter of opinion and me saying I agree to disagree with this video. Yes I watched the segment. I also lived through the Aids crisis and was 11 when Freddie Mercury died. It was a different time. I just choose not to shout about my options. One more thing about Freddie's relationship with Jim, it really didn't flourish until after the events of the movie. The movie wasn't about Jims time taking care of Freddie in his last years. It didn't cover that time.
Also remember that these are big Hollywood movies, but they aren't definitive by any means. I haven't seen Bohemian Rhapsody and I don't feel like I'm missing out on something without seeing it. You can skip the movies and be a fan, that's what I do
At least Pharell Williams is trying to do something different. It’s like he woke up one day, remembered he has free will and said “y’know what, fuck it I wanna make a movie about me as a lego”.
The pure, raw emotion from the Bohemian Rhapsody section solidifies in my mind that you are truly are the person that hates this movie the most. And honestly, for good reason. This may be my new favorite video of yours
The Amy Winehouse biopic being announced was a shocking moment for me when it happened because it really felt like no time at all since we lost Amy. Like I know there's no hard and fast rule about when dramatizations can happen, but it just felt...wrong. Especially when exploitation by the media and people in her life contributed to her death. Maybe in another twenty to thirty years, I could see an I'm Not There style biopic about her that centers the topic of how women are chewed up and spit out by the industry. Anyway, brilliant video. Congrats on your recovery!
I'm so thrilled you covered Love & Mercy, its the only biopic I think is authentically unique and cared about who it was portraying. Brian Wilson was a complicated man with a tragic life. However, the movie performed a perfect balance of convincing you how much of a genius he was so it took its sweet time explaining to you why he's such a musical anomaly despite his hardships. Its truly one of my comfort movies and Brian Wilson's name is still not talked about enough. He inspired the Beatles on multiple occasions and wrote an entire album in a way no one had seen before. Thank you for talking about it so more people check it out!
Dont forget the Jimi Hendrix biopic. The makers asked for permission to use Jimi's music, the estate said nah, so the movie features period-accurate budget friendly songs and original music Hendrix soundalikes. The saddest thing is that Three Stacks is trying very hard but the movie around him just doesnt give anyone to breathe
Ughhh reminds me of that dogshit Stardust one about Bowie. So insanely disrespectful, especially considering it was in David's WILL that he didn't want a biopic of his life to ever be approved.
a Jimi Hendrix biopic without the music makes absolutely no sense. When the estate says no, that means it's time to let go of the project, not forge ahead with royalty-free music and be like, "This is the Jimi Hendrix story!"
A Black Sabbath biopic would be the only one I’d be interested in. I read Ozzy’s book and he’s very upfront about all the horrible shit he’s done, but he also has such an interesting upbringing and experience as a working class teenager and young adult who suffered abuse and poverty. And the stories of Black Sabbath on tour are insane enough for a movie. Not saying the person has to be horrible for a biopic to actually be good, it’s just the ones that dive into the characters flaws like Raging Bull are the most impactful
I think Aerosmith would've made for a great biopic as well, their career is just full of domestic drama and band-related drama it would need to be a Netflix series or something. If they just covered their 70s era all the way to their 1986 comeback with Run DMC I'd be cool with it. The biggest stumbling block would be finding a very charismatic actor to portray Steven Tyler. It might work better if Joe Perry was the main protagonist, he's the real rockstar of the band and doesn't get enough credit as a member of Aerosmith or as a guitarist who inspired many.
I always thought that the Greatest Showman was one film that would have been better by not presenting it as a biopic! Asking people to ignore the gut-wrenchingly horrible real history of PT Barnumis a lotttttt to ask of your audience. especially with the themes they tried to portray, it would have been more impactful as a fully fictional story. like, literally change a few names in there and its now a joyful, universally enjoyable musical that isn't contradicting its own thematic perspective.
I've believed this fully ever since I was a kid. I think at it's worst, it's harmful to depict people with disabilities (and general differences) as one huge mob referred to only as "the freaks" who are forever greatful and loving towards One Guy who decided he could make money off of them. Both in the films sugar coated, glorified context and the real context. The "we're different and we stick together" theme that was marketed with it always rubbed me the wrong way.
BoRhap main goal was to put Freddie as his stage persona, not who he was so i've always wondered "what would Freddie actually react while watching this movie" and i finally have the awnser: he'd be bored for a while until the AOBTD where his character says that Queen is whatever he wants it to be, in that moment he'd just get up from the chair, leave the room and ask for the movie to be burned forever
I can't think about Bohemian Rhapsody without thinking about how, right after a friend and I had both come out as bi, we were talking about learning that Freddy Mercury had also been bisexual and finding that somewhat comforting, especially when growing up in a very conservative environment where we didn't have a lot of other queer friends. And, that conversation being overheard by a different "friend," who would later completely ghost the entire rest of the friend-group, who insisted that we were wrong, and Freddy Mercury wasn't bisexual, because the actress who played his ex-wife in the movie at one point says "oh my god, you're gay?" or something to that effect. And, she just couldn't wrap her head around the idea that the movie was not a one to one representation of what happened in real life, so we must have been wrong. I think about that like once a month.
What's funny is some of the greatest movies of all time are biopics: Lawrence of Arabia, Amadeus, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, Malcolm X, and even Oppenheimer might stand the test of time in a similar way. But Bohemian Rhapsody isn't so much a movie as it is a commercial for Queen's music. Also, congrats on 100 days!
The rocketman pinball machine they released is fucking badass. There's a headphone jack so you can listen to Elton John songs while playing and a disco ball mounted above your head that adapts to how your playing . Shits radical
@@soulbrother5435 honestly Ringo's had a pretty interesting life. He would be more interesting to hear about than John and Paul with how overdone content on those two is
@@SkyeID This is how they're kept relevant by habitually recycling their bios. Same thing goes for Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. Trouble is, each generation gets further and further away from really having much interest as the years go by.
Yes please fulfill my Rocketman addiction more and more. The entire movie is spliced into my DNA by now. Also love the essay and critique in general (You definitely got a new sub)
They REALLY lied about the manager guy, though. They made him seem older than Elton, when in reality he was YOUNGER. I just feel iffy demonizing a guy that much.
Finally... someone said it. Elton John is a national treasure, and his starpower with Taron Egerton as the role of Elton John is an absolute god smack of a film. Elton lead a really huge and cultural life, and the fact that he's still around is a godsend to how humble and amazing he really is. This movie screams huge, and is quite the rollercoaster of a film where you feel like he really had something to say about his gay life and his massive influence on modern pop in general. This guy has written movie soundtracks, most notably The Lion King, and has gone on to work with several modern pop artists including Dua Lipa and Britney Spears!
One of my dad’s favourite movies ever is Almost famous. It’s the auto-biopic of Cameron Crow. It’s honestly a great film and I think you should give it a watch some time. I love the video btw, always fantastic :)
I watched Bohemian Rhapsody, but I never finished because I honestly found it really boring. And I don't know if I'm ever going to finish watching it, considering how inaccurate it is to Freddie and Queen's story. Rocketman, on the other hand, captivated me, not only because of its visually and audibly pleasing fantasy sequences (though those definitely helped), but because of how well it made me emotionally connect with Elton. It's one of my favorite movie musicals and movies based on true stories (along with Elvis, but I respect your opinion on that movie). Your video essay on Rocketman was great, and captured the things I loved about it. Also, I really hope that they'll treat Michael Jackson and his life with utmost respect in his biopic. He's my favorite musician of all time, and no offense, but I hope it won't fill me with the same amount of rage Bohemian Rhapsody did for you.
With the MJ biopic, I really hope they can deliver more than just a recreation of stuff we can already watch. He deserves way more than a shallow highlight reel. …But if it does end up sucking, at least there’s the Broadway musical.
i wish biopic were chose more for story capability rather than just pure star power. Like i think there is a really deep story in J dilla's life and how he made donuts while he was in hospital, racing to finish the album before his mortality caught up with him
2018/2019 was such an interesting time because you really couldn't escape the 'bohemian rhapsody' talk. it was so big that tabloid sites were spreading rumors of other biopics that were bound to be made, one of them being about michael jackson. i thought, "surely not, that'd be too complicated, his solo career alone spanned over 30 years. how would they possibly fit something like that into a 2 hour-long film?" so imagine the feeling in my gut when they actually *did* announce a michael jackson biopic. i am terrified!! i still don't even totally see the point (it's money) of making this, when there's already a musical about him, but i'll probably still watch this anyway. same as i did with 'bohemian rhapsody', same as i did with 'rocketman'. i'm sure it'll still be formulaic in some ways, i'm just hoping this is less like queen and more like elton.
As a big fan of Elton who loves Rocketman I take personal joy in pointing out the historical/chronological inaccuracies of the movie. However I have two gripes: 1. There are a lot of sliiiightly deeper cuts that would've worked well for the purpose of storytelling. Like, "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is right there guys. Maybe it was too obvious .I understand they wanted the hits though. 2. Should have included the time Elton performed while dressed as Donald Duck. Only for my personal pleasure. I do think music biopics actually have immense potential (as someone who loves pop music history) but that potential needs to be matched with genuine ambition and creativity to be reached and they're all mostly cash grabs now. But who knows... Love your videos!
Honestly, I think SSMLT might have been a little too on-the-nose for what it was going for, especially when the point is *Elton* realizing that he can get better and it's nobody's choice but his own, rather than framing it as someone making the decision for him. Though I absolutely agree Bernie saved his life by being there through everything and trying to do what he could
Being a lifelong Queen nerd I hated when Bohemian Rhapsody was released. It was frustrating hearing people talk about the story beats as if they were the real life story. I can excuse inaccuracies but this movie was so egregious and honestly a bit mean spirited with it's liberties. Freddie's story was complex enough and didn't need revisionism to that degree whatsoever.
As a massive Rocketman fan, I fully support this Trojan Horsing everyone into consuming it Getting into *that* section, and I'd like to congratulate you for over 100 days clean!
I was using a sewing machine while watching Elvis when I looked away and the needle went through my pointer nail and all. Now I reflexively curl my fingers in whenever that movie comes up lol
As soon as you said "I, Tonya" the Drew Gooden clip popped into my brain at the exact same time you included it in the video and tbh it was kinda delightful.
Mitch Winehouse threatened legal action because of how he was portrayed in the 2015 documentary Amy so it wouldn't surprise me if Studiocanal and Sam Taylor-Johnson were nervous about depicting him in a negative or complicated light.
Genuinely the first video I have ever seen of yours, and this is fantastic. Your commentary is so full of personality and you genuinely have really interesting things to say. Keep it up!!!
17:30 Thank you that you mentioned this Movie. I just had to watch it after your Praisr and I laughed, cried had Goosebumbs and love Taron Egerton even more. I have a totally diffrent appreciation for Elton and this movie probably changed me in some kind of way. BEST TWO HOURS OF MY LIFE !!
Rocket Man was a great movie. It paid tribute to one of the best singer/songwriters of all time. I love everything about that movie. That being said... Walk Hard is better than all the movies you reviewed in this video. First of all it's the funniest movie I ever saw and has the highest concentration of quotable oneliners of any movie I know. Not only that, but the original music written for the movie in various musical styles is amazing. The parodies of Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Johnny Cash are spot on and and the parody songs sometimes even surpass the originals they were inspired by. Walk hard, I did a Bad Thing, Guilty as Charged, Black Sheep, Let's Duet... C'mon! Instant classics! John C. Reilly plays the role of a lifetime and turns out to be a great singer as well. Walk Hard is a must-see movie. The Easter eggs and cameo's alone make it a movie worth watching.
This scratches an itch the way Sideways used to when he still uploaded, absolutely wonderful stuff!! Pumped to watch and add your Bohemian Rhapsody vid to my roster of frequently rewatched longform video essays
That, and the way they portray Freddie in general. I love Queen but the movie just felt like it stripped Freddie of his actual personality and made him a cookie cutter stock biopic character.
Coal Miner's Daughter I would put in as one of the better ones as it at least seemed like there was a vision. Also Sissy did deserve her Oscar and nailed Loretta's personality.
In 2019 my local street theater kept playing Rocketman even when all other places stoped playing it, and me and my friends loved it so much we had an agreement to go watch it every two weeks, I have no idea how many times we saw it in theaters and it is in my top 5 best movies of the 2010's.
You should check out Coal Miner's Daughter from 1980. It's similar in plot structure to modern biopics but is much more laid back with more focus on Loretta Lynn's upbringing as a person and her relationship with her husband Doolittle Lynn. The musical side of the story doesn't really come in until about halfway through the film and never overshadows the characters. It's one of the best films I've ever seen and one of the most authentic.
The more I learn about the remaining members of Queen and what they've done to not only Freddie's legacy but the band in generals legacy makes me sad. I am a huge Queen fan, always have been, and sadly the Bohemian Rhapsody movie got me into a very deep rabbit hole. I love all of their albums, even the crappy ones. But what Brian May and Roger Taylor are doing is not ok. Not only did their egos get in the way of what could've been a really good movie (besides the director being a problem), but also what they have been doing lately. They are rereleasing my second favorite Queen album, the debut. They used AI art for the MV of the night comes down and they're autotuning Freddie's voice. Like if he was alive he would NOT have stood for this. And poor John. I'm glad he got out when he did because this is a MESS. Sorry for the tangent.
My fav biopic is velvet goldmine and that's because it's not a biopic but a exploration of how music and glam rock and queerness impacted the world. And it's also a David Bowie x Lou Reed fanfiction B-)
I hate this whole genre of film. If you’ve ever been around musicians, they tend to talk in their own language and they work incredibly hard crafting their songs which sometimes take years to fully develop. In the bio pick they come up with a completed song in 10 minutes. There’s no talk about music theory, production techniques, equipment, all the things that real musicians talk about. I particularly hate Bohemian Rhapsody because they gave a north African Zoroastrian of Indian extraction, blue eyes! Note that John Deacon, the bass player who was parade in the weird Al Yankovic movie had nothing to do with this film
The issue with the portrayal of Elvis is that it assumes that it's an all or nothing thing in regards to his controversies, and since Baz is sympathetic to Elvis then he has to try and explain things away. Because apparently audiences don't understand nuance. And yeah, I guess twitter shows many of us don't, but lets not tar everyone with the same brush! audiences have The capacity to accept the idea that, for example, since Elvis grew up as a poor kid with black friends he felt a sincere connection to the music, and still be frustrated that he could've and should've done more to highlight that it's their music he's homaging. (Aside from praising Fats Domino).
Not to say that there isn't room for that narrative, but I think that part of why biopics often turn out as feature-length Wikipedia entries is because they try to cover so many bases to please everyone. I think that what the film is ultimately about (the inherently political nature of art, how you have to engage with the world around you to make vital art, etc.) is a valid angle to take on the life of Elvis Presley, and including the more problematic aspects of his life, while also a valid thing to make a movie about, would have ultimately muddled those themes.
I have to respectfully disagree that the Elvis movie removes all of his agency. One of the benefits of the Colonel narrating the film is that we get insights that we wouldn't necessarily have gotten otherwise; in particular, he goes into how Elvis was always spending, something that his father echoes toward the end of the film. Plus, the fanciful, opulent nature of his narration, while befitting of a carny showman like him, still befits Elvis's own indulgences (it's not the Colonel's idea to bring on a 30-piece orchestra for his Vegas shows). Not to mention, it's Elvis who insists on going on tour even though the Colonel wants to keep him in Las Vegas after he's attacked, further estranging him from his wife and worsening his isolation and dependence on drugs. Granted, it's a long film and I had to watch it more than once for everything to sink in.
I get the sneaking suspicion you didn't like the Bohemian Rhapsody film very much. The only part I liked was the sequence where they were creating the actual Bohemian Rhapsody song... until I found out the filmmakers got every fact wrong, and then I felt very hurt and betrayed. Then I never thought about the film ever again.
Love the good the bad and the queen instrumental in the background. I almost choked as you said the bands name and then the lil music. *clicks subscribe button*
Thing is, one absolutely could bring Walk Hard out of the woodwork again. It would be completely in keeping with that movies vibe to do a "(whatever)th Anniversary Release!" Done up with the same faux-prestige as though they had won best picture. It could work
I think Back To Black is much worse than you say it is. It gets so much wrong about Amy like BoRhap does about Freddie. It's absolutely disgusting and makes them both look like terrible people. Thank you for pointing out Mitch. Oh my fucking God. The fact he said he doesn't regret anything as a father in an interview absolutely made me ill. Because she's her dad and their relationship meant a lot to her, his actions affected her badly. Yet, she loved him unconditionally. He didn't deserve Amy as a daughter. 🖕🖕🖕🖕
Phenomenal video! I had never thought of biopics as in depth as I do now after your discussion. And they are a very relevant topic, with how much we're getting of the genre. Great video, really
Ok this is my first video I've seen of yours and I'm stopping about 15 minutes in to make a quick comment when you mentioned Rocketman. I was actually kind of shocked you did not mention it with all the other movies like you stated. And I absolutely love the fact that you love this movie. I have not started the segment on it yet but I wanted to get my pre thoughts to you. It is my personal favorite of all the recent biopics partially because the structure of the movie doesn't rely on it being sequential and things being in order . Also I love the fact that the songs don't have as much to do with the time that they were made but have to do with the theme of what's going on in his life. It almost makes it a musical unto itself. I actually just want to say that I am glad that there is someone who appreciates this movie as much as I do, because I found it rather disheartening that most people found Bohemian Rhapsody a better biopic than Rocketman. Especially when I find Bohemian Rhapsody kind of irritating for one major distortion in the history of Queen (the fictional breakup and the triumphant return at Live Aid) to the point where I actually looked down at the movie even though as a storytelling device that works but as trying to depict a historical figure doesn't. I will now proceed to finish the video, but I want to give you Kudos straight off. Thank you
PS it looks like you hate Bohemian Rhapsody even more than I do, which is pretty freaking low unto itself. I will have to watch your magnum opus on the piece. I will no longer remind you (or myself) of that movie again. In fact I think I will take your advice and re-watch Rocketman which I do love that movie... And also Love and Mercy which I have not seen and would now like to. I still have not seen Amy or Elvis, I am quite familiar with the Elvis story and pretty familiar with Winehouse as well. Judging from what you have to say about the Amy movie, I may want to skip it. Thanks for the essay. 🙂
The thing that always gets me is that, if its a band i love, i cant tell if its good. I love What We Do is Secret. But i was already a life long Germs fan. So of course im gonna be happy with a Germs movie, especially one that the living members of the band put do much effort into.
A channel that Trojans rocketman man content? I HAVE FOUND MY CHANNEL. Before I saw this movie, I knew like 2 Elton John songs. It converted me. Because the songs are that good, and that well performed. Its a perfect storm of the right script coming together with the right directer, the right story, and the right actor, all making the best work of their career. It's just a blast for me all the way through. Yes i know its not perfect, but its a comfort film for me. Every time I watch it I notice something different. The last time I watched it I learnee new things about myself. The film's soundtrack is one of my prized possessions. It never gets old. Its always there to lift my spirits when i'n down. It has been singing in seconds. I became a better singer listening to Taron and studying his methods. Ok, gush over, i still haven't seen love and mercy. So as of now, rocketman is the best biopic i've ever seen.
I wish that my favorite biopic was Rocketman. However, i'm a weird girl, so, i'm going to say what is my favorite Biopic of all time. This being, the absolute masterpiece that is, Moonage Daydream, by Brett Morgen. And the subject? David Bowie. Though it may not count as a Biopic in it's entirety, because it also falls under the category of a documentary, i will say it's a Biopic anyway, because it feels like one. This biopic, directed by Brett Morgen, is completely different than your usual Biopic. Instead of having a Cast, it uses Archive Material and never before footage from the family of Bowie. Instead of using a common narrative, like a narrator or interviews, or a cast, it uses only interviews and tapes of Bowie. And instead of being an usual movie, it's a sensorial experience following the life and art of David Bowie, in a disorganized way, following him from his begginings in music to the end of his life. It is an awe inspired film, and an incredible experience that i recommend everyone to see, and experience.
i think this trend shows the wasted potential and dehumanization of the subjects of these works. the worst ones are a way to pick the flesh off the corpses while simultaneously appearing as a respectful tribute. i love learning about the lives of people who greatly influenced my music tastes, but i hate the feeling that money was the priority, and manipulating my admiration was the transaction.
So I just speed runned all of your bio pics vides in order, and YO that was quite the build up in intensity sheesh I hadnt realised those allegations were THAT serius in the original BR video!!
I came across this video earlier this week, watched about half, paused it, and am just now getting back to. I finally sat down to watch Rocketman today and it was a wonderful experience and it totally wouldn't have happened without this video. Gonna watch the rest of the video now lmao
I would love to see you talk about The Greatest Showman because that is like a biopic that isn't a biopic about PT Barnum. I love musicals and Hugh Jackman, but boy, does this movie give me the ick.
wow 44:22 this was a great take on how narratives and propaganda or even editing of the truth is embedded into the general audience. I've been looking into/researching another British artist with south Asian roots... Zayn Malik and the way the music industry/media and his own 1D boyband bandmates narratives including harry styles calling him "unprofessional" on the Howard stern show, for leaving the band for his mental health and creative freedom... haver created this villain narrative. Zayn wasn't dead like Freddie Mercury, but he was blacklisted in music industry and so had no voice or say on how he was being mis-represented or portrayed- he was used as the whipping boy and scapegoat (especially as he was the only PoC member and easily racially stereotyped) to contrast to other members and elevate them and make them look good. I find the biopics of People of color particularly egregious...it's like there is so much reverence towards the white artist and their music but when it comes to Whitney Housten, Tupac its low budget, lack of care or artistic merit, cash grab and lack of good script or even respect...usually its focused-on scandal and reducing the artist to one mistake, drug addiction etc etc
We live in a timeline where bohemian rhapsody did so wrong and got so loved... It hurts me, I still dream about a 2 part Queen BioFilm, better songs used OTHER THAN GREATEST HITS. I really wanted to hear get down make love or body language in some parts, I wanted an animated representation when Queen 1-2 was being planned, the futuristic-classic universe being made, the black queen being a pre-bohemian rhapsody. Sheer heart attack and news of the world being the 2 takes on art. How all members were well versed on culture and how that process created such an amazing music I love. How the first movie ended in a big note being the end of the 70s era And how the 2nd film was the dark ages of the 80s, how by trying to make hits ratter than art made so many Meh songs, how every member made it's own solo career parallel to Queen, Michael Jackson and Freddie inspired/fight each other. His takes on Opera, how it is controversial to mix those genres and that Barcelona rocked. How the lasts albums were made The Spain inspirations on innuendo How art was about to resurrect on Queen just by the time Freddie died... But all we got... was this. Kinda sad ngl. I love Queen. And all I wanted was to make people who don't know about them to listen to them. Maybe in another timeline
You make alot of great points in this video. While do like some biopics that was in this video like Bohemian Rhapsody and Elvis, you make some good critiques on them. And I'm really looking forward to the Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael'.😁😊
The one that really got down the dynamic of John and Paul was Two Of Us. It wasn't some grand retelling of their lives; it took place on a single night. It was directed by the same man who directed the original Let It Be film and Paul himself praised it! It is so painfully underrated. Sure, the actors don't really look like who they're meant to be, but you forget all about that because they embody Lennon and McCartney *perfectly.*
I absolutely adore Rocketman. I mean, it helps that I'm a massive Taron Egerton fan too, but it's just a fantastic movie anyways. Also, I fully believe that Bohemian Rhapsody fucked over Rocketman's chances at the Oscars. I truly believe Rocketman would have gotten more nominations if Bohemian Rhapsody hadn't gotten so many the year before. The fact Egerton didn't get a best actor nod was the biggest snub for this movie
I really like what you gotta say! I haven't seen many of the recent biopics, i do really want to watch Love & Mercy, I kind of want to listen to more Elton John before i watch Rocketman. I was so surprised by Weird, I'm really picky with comedy and i thought it was perfect. It actually gave me a huge amount of respect for Weird Al, i never liked his music but after watching the movie i definitely understand it much better. I didn't know Elton John struggled with bulimia, as a recovering alcoholic i value when people open up about their mental health struggles
I think also a lot of biopics are being made because a lot of these artist music catalogue have been sold off. Now the corporations and entities that have bought these music catalogues want to make some millions off their purchase. Some are monopolizing /amalgamating many...For example: "Cher sells her share of past sound recordings and compositions to Irving Azoff's Iconic Artists Group." The Beach Boys in 2021 "announced that Iconic Artists Group, run by music exec Irving Azoff, has purchased a controlling interest in their intellectual property" Also, in 2021 "Bruce Springsteen has sold the master recordings and publishing rights for his life's work to Sony" In 2020 "Bob Dylan, who sold his songwriting catalog to Universal Music Publishing Group."
An online article by Alan Cross, published on 23 August 2024 on website A Journal of Musical Things "Here’s a running list of artists who have sold some or all of their song catalogues to a new breed of company. (Updated as required)" is good resource.
No no no, you're wrong about the cancer. They wouldn't use free will for that, they'd say that it's part of the trials and tribulations each person must go through to earn heaven
The only thing I can praise Bohemian Rhapsody for is getting many of my classmates into Queen (and lead one of them to read an actual biography, wow!) since our teacher showed it to us in class.
NOTE: Both content warnings in this video have incorrect timestamps. The (skip to) timestamp at 34:05 should be 35:13, and at 38:31 it should be 39:18. So sorry about that!
When Weird Al making out with Madonna is more historically accurate than most of Bohemian Rhapsody, you know Hollywood f’ed up.
Weird Als Biopic is mostly a parody of every biopic ever (like his songs). So Weird Als was basically poking fun of biopics
@@ImSchrodingerCat That's the point. If your mocking biopic's historical accuracy and you're actually much more accurate than any of them, that's f'ed up
@DeviemTwen There are filler moments mixed with true moments in every biopic. You shouldn't go into watching any movie thinking it's all recreation of true events. Someone shouting about something isn't making a point, they are just making noise.
I really appreciate the thorough tearing apart of the Queen movie. I love Queen's music and Freddie Mercury as well. From what I've seen of his interviews, he came off as someone who was witty, caring, playful, and he also said multiple times that he viewed the band as an equal unit where all four of them mattered. He even told an interviewer "Stop that shit!" (albeit in a joking manner but still) when she asked him: "What are their names again?" Brian May even once called Freddie the "peacemaker" when fights would break out in the band. I know I didn't know Freddie personally, obviously, and of course he was a flawed human being. But, at the very least, he didn't seem like someone who really wanted to run the show for the entire band. It bothers me that his bandmates allowed him to be portrayed as a villian, and also that the movie really didn't give much time to the development of his relationship with Jim Hutton, which wouldn't bother me so much if the movie hadn't spent so much time making it seem like his, for lack of a better term, "straight" relationship was the only good one he had. I get that the remaining band members didn't have a say in every little thing, but it feels so disrespectful to portray their bandmate and friend in a way that seems so far off from reality.
@brittneybrisbin744 I am a huge fan of Queen and Freddie Mercury as well and I would never go into any movie thinking it's all going to be true. Moments are true and the remaining members ultimately have control of their content, as they should. Someone shouting about something isn't making a point, they are just making noise.
@@crazy1234573 Did you actually watch the segment? It's not just random inaccuracies, but outright makes Freddie the villain of his own movie, completely mischaracterizes him, and demonizes him in comparison to his bandmates-- who participated in the same shit need I remind you-- AND the way it's set up makes his AIDS diagnosis a punishment for his queerness, making his only "good" and "important" relationship, the straight one. It completely neglects the true story of Freddie and Jim Hutton in favor of Mary.
It's far from the film Freddie deserves. Modern Queen has become an absolute mockery and I'm tired of pretending they haven't lost the plot.
@dx.feelgood5825 Not once did I call anything random inaccuracies...but okay. I am not going to argue a difference of opinion either. I feel, in the movie, they all came off as spoiled and entitled at certain points. I also don't think this movie was a "Freddie Mercury story". It was all about the music. The music that all 4 band members created. Together. During the Aids crisis people were treated as if it was a punishment for being gay. That was a product of that time. People were ridiculed and treated awful, even by their own families. Again, that was of that time period. I also think the relationship with Freddie's family and Mary were handled quite well. Again. A matter of opinion and me saying I agree to disagree with this video. Yes I watched the segment. I also lived through the Aids crisis and was 11 when Freddie Mercury died. It was a different time. I just choose not to shout about my options. One more thing about Freddie's relationship with Jim, it really didn't flourish until after the events of the movie. The movie wasn't about Jims time taking care of Freddie in his last years. It didn't cover that time.
Also remember that these are big Hollywood movies, but they aren't definitive by any means. I haven't seen Bohemian Rhapsody and I don't feel like I'm missing out on something without seeing it. You can skip the movies and be a fan, that's what I do
At least Pharell Williams is trying to do something different. It’s like he woke up one day, remembered he has free will and said “y’know what, fuck it I wanna make a movie about me as a lego”.
To be fair if I had the fame and millions of dollars and more confidence I'd probably do exactly that
@@ILoveDusterNow Personally I would want my biopic to be a 2D animated Disney movie
having "The Good" "The Bad" and "The Queen" as the chapters in this video is so on brand for you I love it so much
The pure, raw emotion from the Bohemian Rhapsody section solidifies in my mind that you are truly are the person that hates this movie the most. And honestly, for good reason.
This may be my new favorite video of yours
yes! i win!!
The Amy Winehouse biopic being announced was a shocking moment for me when it happened because it really felt like no time at all since we lost Amy. Like I know there's no hard and fast rule about when dramatizations can happen, but it just felt...wrong. Especially when exploitation by the media and people in her life contributed to her death. Maybe in another twenty to thirty years, I could see an I'm Not There style biopic about her that centers the topic of how women are chewed up and spit out by the industry.
Anyway, brilliant video. Congrats on your recovery!
100% agree, and i wonder if the upcoming britney spears biopic will have a similar theme. and thank you very much!
@@sahana.speaks I know this video is two moths old but I gotta ask, what's you thought on the Ian Curtis biopic Control: Love Will Tear Us Apart ?
I'm so thrilled you covered Love & Mercy, its the only biopic I think is authentically unique and cared about who it was portraying. Brian Wilson was a complicated man with a tragic life. However, the movie performed a perfect balance of convincing you how much of a genius he was so it took its sweet time explaining to you why he's such a musical anomaly despite his hardships. Its truly one of my comfort movies and Brian Wilson's name is still not talked about enough. He inspired the Beatles on multiple occasions and wrote an entire album in a way no one had seen before. Thank you for talking about it so more people check it out!
Dont forget the Jimi Hendrix biopic. The makers asked for permission to use Jimi's music, the estate said nah, so the movie features period-accurate budget friendly songs and original music Hendrix soundalikes. The saddest thing is that Three Stacks is trying very hard but the movie around him just doesnt give anyone to breathe
Ughhh reminds me of that dogshit Stardust one about Bowie. So insanely disrespectful, especially considering it was in David's WILL that he didn't want a biopic of his life to ever be approved.
a Jimi Hendrix biopic without the music makes absolutely no sense. When the estate says no, that means it's time to let go of the project, not forge ahead with royalty-free music and be like, "This is the Jimi Hendrix story!"
@@SkyeID it was fine for what it was going for but it felt like it needed extra 30 minutes to get some room to breathe.
A Black Sabbath biopic would be the only one I’d be interested in. I read Ozzy’s book and he’s very upfront about all the horrible shit he’s done, but he also has such an interesting upbringing and experience as a working class teenager and young adult who suffered abuse and poverty. And the stories of Black Sabbath on tour are insane enough for a movie. Not saying the person has to be horrible for a biopic to actually be good, it’s just the ones that dive into the characters flaws like Raging Bull are the most impactful
I think Aerosmith would've made for a great biopic as well, their career is just full of domestic drama and band-related drama it would need to be a Netflix series or something. If they just covered their 70s era all the way to their 1986 comeback with Run DMC I'd be cool with it. The biggest stumbling block would be finding a very charismatic actor to portray Steven Tyler. It might work better if Joe Perry was the main protagonist, he's the real rockstar of the band and doesn't get enough credit as a member of Aerosmith or as a guitarist who inspired many.
I always thought that the Greatest Showman was one film that would have been better by not presenting it as a biopic! Asking people to ignore the gut-wrenchingly horrible real history of PT Barnumis a lotttttt to ask of your audience. especially with the themes they tried to portray, it would have been more impactful as a fully fictional story. like, literally change a few names in there and its now a joyful, universally enjoyable musical that isn't contradicting its own thematic perspective.
I've believed this fully ever since I was a kid. I think at it's worst, it's harmful to depict people with disabilities (and general differences) as one huge mob referred to only as "the freaks" who are forever greatful and loving towards One Guy who decided he could make money off of them. Both in the films sugar coated, glorified context and the real context. The "we're different and we stick together" theme that was marketed with it always rubbed me the wrong way.
I feel like bohemian rhapsody is like this looming presence on the channel atp and watching the borhap video provides so much context to your videos
it’s required viewing at this point
The sahana lore
BoRhap main goal was to put Freddie as his stage persona, not who he was
so i've always wondered "what would Freddie actually react while watching this movie" and i finally have the awnser: he'd be bored for a while until the AOBTD where his character says that Queen is whatever he wants it to be, in that moment he'd just get up from the chair, leave the room and ask for the movie to be burned forever
The fact Bohemian Rhapsody made that much money and won four Oscars is tragic.
I can't think about Bohemian Rhapsody without thinking about how, right after a friend and I had both come out as bi, we were talking about learning that Freddy Mercury had also been bisexual and finding that somewhat comforting, especially when growing up in a very conservative environment where we didn't have a lot of other queer friends. And, that conversation being overheard by a different "friend," who would later completely ghost the entire rest of the friend-group, who insisted that we were wrong, and Freddy Mercury wasn't bisexual, because the actress who played his ex-wife in the movie at one point says "oh my god, you're gay?" or something to that effect. And, she just couldn't wrap her head around the idea that the movie was not a one to one representation of what happened in real life, so we must have been wrong.
I think about that like once a month.
that's so funny, Freddie always made clear he loved people no matter their gender
What's funny is some of the greatest movies of all time are biopics: Lawrence of Arabia, Amadeus, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, Malcolm X, and even Oppenheimer might stand the test of time in a similar way. But Bohemian Rhapsody isn't so much a movie as it is a commercial for Queen's music.
Also, congrats on 100 days!
Amadeus isn't really a biopic, it is adapted from a fictional play. Still a great movie though.
The rocketman pinball machine they released is fucking badass. There's a headphone jack so you can listen to Elton John songs while playing and a disco ball mounted above your head that adapts to how your playing . Shits radical
i need it so bad
@@dx.feelgood5825 me too I got like two high scores
Happy 100 days clean! That's a huge accomplishment so good on you :))
thank you :)
Yeah! Recovery is hard, but it’s worth it
Four Beatles biopics is overkill.
I mean, those would be the first time George or Ringo actually get their own movie, so not necessarily
can't wait for biopic about my favourite Beatle, Ringo
@@soulbrother5435 honestly Ringo's had a pretty interesting life. He would be more interesting to hear about than John and Paul with how overdone content on those two is
4 Beatles biopics is 4 too many. I'm surprised people care enough about The Beatles to make movies about them.
@@SkyeID This is how they're kept relevant by habitually recycling their bios. Same thing goes for Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. Trouble is, each generation gets further and further away from really having much interest as the years go by.
Yes please fulfill my Rocketman addiction more and more. The entire movie is spliced into my DNA by now.
Also love the essay and critique in general (You definitely got a new sub)
Rocketman is one of the best biopics ever made, period
They REALLY lied about the manager guy, though. They made him seem older than Elton, when in reality he was YOUNGER. I just feel iffy demonizing a guy that much.
The only thing i recall about Bohemian Rhapsody is the bi-erasure
just what the community needs: more bi-erasure! 😞
The world still isn’t ready to acknowledge that you can be bisexual and have preferences 😒
Super glad I found this video and your channel. Even more excited to watch the rest of your videos, seeing as you're a fellow Gorillaz lover
Congrats on your 100 days 🫶🏼
thank you! 🧡
Finally... someone said it. Elton John is a national treasure, and his starpower with Taron Egerton as the role of Elton John is an absolute god smack of a film. Elton lead a really huge and cultural life, and the fact that he's still around is a godsend to how humble and amazing he really is. This movie screams huge, and is quite the rollercoaster of a film where you feel like he really had something to say about his gay life and his massive influence on modern pop in general. This guy has written movie soundtracks, most notably The Lion King, and has gone on to work with several modern pop artists including Dua Lipa and Britney Spears!
One of my dad’s favourite movies ever is Almost famous. It’s the auto-biopic of Cameron Crow. It’s honestly a great film and I think you should give it a watch some time. I love the video btw, always fantastic :)
Yay!I’ve never been this early to one of your videos,super excited to watch!
Me too
I watched Bohemian Rhapsody, but I never finished because I honestly found it really boring. And I don't know if I'm ever going to finish watching it, considering how inaccurate it is to Freddie and Queen's story.
Rocketman, on the other hand, captivated me, not only because of its visually and audibly pleasing fantasy sequences (though those definitely helped), but because of how well it made me emotionally connect with Elton. It's one of my favorite movie musicals and movies based on true stories (along with Elvis, but I respect your opinion on that movie). Your video essay on Rocketman was great, and captured the things I loved about it.
Also, I really hope that they'll treat Michael Jackson and his life with utmost respect in his biopic. He's my favorite musician of all time, and no offense, but I hope it won't fill me with the same amount of rage Bohemian Rhapsody did for you.
With the MJ biopic, I really hope they can deliver more than just a recreation of stuff we can already watch. He deserves way more than a shallow highlight reel.
…But if it does end up sucking, at least there’s the Broadway musical.
i wish biopic were chose more for story capability rather than just pure star power. Like i think there is a really deep story in J dilla's life and how he made donuts while he was in hospital, racing to finish the album before his mortality caught up with him
2018/2019 was such an interesting time because you really couldn't escape the 'bohemian rhapsody' talk. it was so big that tabloid sites were spreading rumors of other biopics that were bound to be made, one of them being about michael jackson. i thought, "surely not, that'd be too complicated, his solo career alone spanned over 30 years. how would they possibly fit something like that into a 2 hour-long film?" so imagine the feeling in my gut when they actually *did* announce a michael jackson biopic. i am terrified!! i still don't even totally see the point (it's money) of making this, when there's already a musical about him, but i'll probably still watch this anyway. same as i did with 'bohemian rhapsody', same as i did with 'rocketman'. i'm sure it'll still be formulaic in some ways, i'm just hoping this is less like queen and more like elton.
why do you not have more subscribers!!!! ur so underrated girly
As a big fan of Elton who loves Rocketman I take personal joy in pointing out the historical/chronological inaccuracies of the movie. However I have two gripes:
1. There are a lot of sliiiightly deeper cuts that would've worked well for the purpose of storytelling. Like, "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is right there guys. Maybe it was too obvious .I understand they wanted the hits though.
2. Should have included the time Elton performed while dressed as Donald Duck. Only for my personal pleasure.
I do think music biopics actually have immense potential (as someone who loves pop music history) but that potential needs to be matched with genuine ambition and creativity to be reached and they're all mostly cash grabs now. But who knows...
Love your videos!
Rocketman was made by Paramount, so Disney probably wouldn't let them use Donald Duck like that.
Honestly, I think SSMLT might have been a little too on-the-nose for what it was going for, especially when the point is *Elton* realizing that he can get better and it's nobody's choice but his own, rather than framing it as someone making the decision for him.
Though I absolutely agree Bernie saved his life by being there through everything and trying to do what he could
36:36 the death on two legs use is awesome. I was scared😂
Being a lifelong Queen nerd I hated when Bohemian Rhapsody was released. It was frustrating hearing people talk about the story beats as if they were the real life story. I can excuse inaccuracies but this movie was so egregious and honestly a bit mean spirited with it's liberties. Freddie's story was complex enough and didn't need revisionism to that degree whatsoever.
Speaking of Elvis - John Carpenter did one with Kurt Russell right as Kurt was entering his prime and holy shit Kurt got some energy
As a massive Rocketman fan, I fully support this Trojan Horsing everyone into consuming it
Getting into *that* section, and I'd like to congratulate you for over 100 days clean!
I was using a sewing machine while watching Elvis when I looked away and the needle went through my pointer nail and all. Now I reflexively curl my fingers in whenever that movie comes up lol
As soon as you said "I, Tonya" the Drew Gooden clip popped into my brain at the exact same time you included it in the video and tbh it was kinda delightful.
Mitch Winehouse threatened legal action because of how he was portrayed in the 2015 documentary Amy so it wouldn't surprise me if Studiocanal and Sam Taylor-Johnson were nervous about depicting him in a negative or complicated light.
Genuinely the first video I have ever seen of yours, and this is fantastic. Your commentary is so full of personality and you genuinely have really interesting things to say. Keep it up!!!
17:30 Thank you that you mentioned this Movie. I just had to watch it after your Praisr and I laughed, cried had Goosebumbs and love Taron Egerton even more. I have a totally diffrent appreciation for Elton and this movie probably changed me in some kind of way. BEST TWO HOURS OF MY LIFE !!
Rocket Man was a great movie. It paid tribute to one of the best singer/songwriters of all time. I love everything about that movie. That being said... Walk Hard is better than all the movies you reviewed in this video. First of all it's the funniest movie I ever saw and has the highest concentration of quotable oneliners of any movie I know. Not only that, but the original music written for the movie in various musical styles is amazing. The parodies of Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Johnny Cash are spot on and and the parody songs sometimes even surpass the originals they were inspired by. Walk hard, I did a Bad Thing, Guilty as Charged, Black Sheep, Let's Duet... C'mon! Instant classics! John C. Reilly plays the role of a lifetime and turns out to be a great singer as well. Walk Hard is a must-see movie. The Easter eggs and cameo's alone make it a movie worth watching.
This scratches an itch the way Sideways used to when he still uploaded, absolutely wonderful stuff!! Pumped to watch and add your Bohemian Rhapsody vid to my roster of frequently rewatched longform video essays
Absolutely furious that we’re getting a Pharrell Williams LEGO movie and not a *_fucking LEGO Batman sequel-_*
I've never seen Bohemian Rhapsody, but from the way you described it, the hidden homophobia of the movie is disgusting
That, and the way they portray Freddie in general. I love Queen but the movie just felt like it stripped Freddie of his actual personality and made him a cookie cutter stock biopic character.
Coal Miner's Daughter I would put in as one of the better ones as it at least seemed like there was a vision. Also Sissy did deserve her Oscar and nailed Loretta's personality.
In 2019 my local street theater kept playing Rocketman even when all other places stoped playing it, and me and my friends loved it so much we had an agreement to go watch it every two weeks, I have no idea how many times we saw it in theaters and it is in my top 5 best movies of the 2010's.
the good, the bad, and the queen were referenced. immediate like and subscribe.
YOU PLAY NORTHERN WHALE TOO?? AMAZING
You should check out Coal Miner's Daughter from 1980. It's similar in plot structure to modern biopics but is much more laid back with more focus on Loretta Lynn's upbringing as a person and her relationship with her husband Doolittle Lynn. The musical side of the story doesn't really come in until about halfway through the film and never overshadows the characters. It's one of the best films I've ever seen and one of the most authentic.
The more I learn about the remaining members of Queen and what they've done to not only Freddie's legacy but the band in generals legacy makes me sad. I am a huge Queen fan, always have been, and sadly the Bohemian Rhapsody movie got me into a very deep rabbit hole. I love all of their albums, even the crappy ones. But what Brian May and Roger Taylor are doing is not ok. Not only did their egos get in the way of what could've been a really good movie (besides the director being a problem), but also what they have been doing lately. They are rereleasing my second favorite Queen album, the debut. They used AI art for the MV of the night comes down and they're autotuning Freddie's voice. Like if he was alive he would NOT have stood for this. And poor John. I'm glad he got out when he did because this is a MESS. Sorry for the tangent.
Tbh I’m excited for the Pharrell Williams one. I hope and pray daft punk is in it. Honestly I’m just here for Daft Punk.
So real😭😭
I thought Back To Black was an AC/DC biopic.
My fav biopic is velvet goldmine and that's because it's not a biopic but a exploration of how music and glam rock and queerness impacted the world. And it's also a David Bowie x Lou Reed fanfiction B-)
So glad I got to discover your channel. Also congrats on your recovery ❤
I hate this whole genre of film. If you’ve ever been around musicians, they tend to talk in their own language and they work incredibly hard crafting their songs which sometimes take years to fully develop. In the bio pick they come up with a completed song in 10 minutes. There’s no talk about music theory, production techniques, equipment, all the things that real musicians talk about. I particularly hate Bohemian Rhapsody because they gave a north African Zoroastrian of Indian extraction, blue eyes! Note that John Deacon, the bass player who was parade in the weird Al Yankovic movie had nothing to do with this film
deaky wants nothing to do with modern queen and i cannot blame him. ugh.
The issue with the portrayal of Elvis is that it assumes that it's an all or nothing thing in regards to his controversies, and since Baz is sympathetic to Elvis then he has to try and explain things away. Because apparently audiences don't understand nuance.
And yeah, I guess twitter shows many of us don't, but lets not tar everyone with the same brush! audiences have The capacity to accept the idea that, for example, since Elvis grew up as a poor kid with black friends he felt a sincere connection to the music, and still be frustrated that he could've and should've done more to highlight that it's their music he's homaging. (Aside from praising Fats Domino).
Not to say that there isn't room for that narrative, but I think that part of why biopics often turn out as feature-length Wikipedia entries is because they try to cover so many bases to please everyone. I think that what the film is ultimately about (the inherently political nature of art, how you have to engage with the world around you to make vital art, etc.) is a valid angle to take on the life of Elvis Presley, and including the more problematic aspects of his life, while also a valid thing to make a movie about, would have ultimately muddled those themes.
I have to respectfully disagree that the Elvis movie removes all of his agency. One of the benefits of the Colonel narrating the film is that we get insights that we wouldn't necessarily have gotten otherwise; in particular, he goes into how Elvis was always spending, something that his father echoes toward the end of the film. Plus, the fanciful, opulent nature of his narration, while befitting of a carny showman like him, still befits Elvis's own indulgences (it's not the Colonel's idea to bring on a 30-piece orchestra for his Vegas shows).
Not to mention, it's Elvis who insists on going on tour even though the Colonel wants to keep him in Las Vegas after he's attacked, further estranging him from his wife and worsening his isolation and dependence on drugs. Granted, it's a long film and I had to watch it more than once for everything to sink in.
walk hard is classic and hits all the trope points without missing a beat. thanks for reminding me!
Getting a vid on biopics after the two bombshells of the previous other biopic vids is amazing honestly. The saga continues
I get the sneaking suspicion you didn't like the Bohemian Rhapsody film very much. The only part I liked was the sequence where they were creating the actual Bohemian Rhapsody song... until I found out the filmmakers got every fact wrong, and then I felt very hurt and betrayed. Then I never thought about the film ever again.
Love the good the bad and the queen instrumental in the background. I almost choked as you said the bands name and then the lil music. *clicks subscribe button*
Love to see more Bohemian Rhapsody slander! Never gets old
Kneecap is a great example of what a music biopic should be. It has style and it tells the story will.
Thing is, one absolutely could bring Walk Hard out of the woodwork again. It would be completely in keeping with that movies vibe to do a "(whatever)th Anniversary Release!" Done up with the same faux-prestige as though they had won best picture. It could work
I think Back To Black is much worse than you say it is. It gets so much wrong about Amy like BoRhap does about Freddie. It's absolutely disgusting and makes them both look like terrible people. Thank you for pointing out Mitch. Oh my fucking God. The fact he said he doesn't regret anything as a father in an interview absolutely made me ill. Because she's her dad and their relationship meant a lot to her, his actions affected her badly. Yet, she loved him unconditionally. He didn't deserve Amy as a daughter. 🖕🖕🖕🖕
I highly recommend checking out more Baz Luhrmann. Moulin Rouge is really fun and Romeo + Juliet is, true to form, bonkers!
First video I watch from you and it just made me suscribe!
Phenomenal video! I had never thought of biopics as in depth as I do now after your discussion. And they are a very relevant topic, with how much we're getting of the genre. Great video, really
33:26 I FELL OUT OF MY DAMN SEAT LITERALLY MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS OF THAT FUCKASS ELEPHANT 😭😭😭😭😭
Cadillac records is my favorite biopic so slept on
Love your channel honestly
Ok this is my first video I've seen of yours and I'm stopping about 15 minutes in to make a quick comment when you mentioned Rocketman. I was actually kind of shocked you did not mention it with all the other movies like you stated. And I absolutely love the fact that you love this movie. I have not started the segment on it yet but I wanted to get my pre thoughts to you. It is my personal favorite of all the recent biopics partially because the structure of the movie doesn't rely on it being sequential and things being in order . Also I love the fact that the songs don't have as much to do with the time that they were made but have to do with the theme of what's going on in his life. It almost makes it a musical unto itself. I actually just want to say that I am glad that there is someone who appreciates this movie as much as I do, because I found it rather disheartening that most people found Bohemian Rhapsody a better biopic than Rocketman. Especially when I find Bohemian Rhapsody kind of irritating for one major distortion in the history of Queen (the fictional breakup and the triumphant return at Live Aid) to the point where I actually looked down at the movie even though as a storytelling device that works but as trying to depict a historical figure doesn't.
I will now proceed to finish the video, but I want to give you Kudos straight off. Thank you
PS it looks like you hate Bohemian Rhapsody even more than I do, which is pretty freaking low unto itself. I will have to watch your magnum opus on the piece. I will no longer remind you (or myself) of that movie again.
In fact I think I will take your advice and re-watch Rocketman which I do love that movie... And also Love and Mercy which I have not seen and would now like to.
I still have not seen Amy or Elvis, I am quite familiar with the Elvis story and pretty familiar with Winehouse as well. Judging from what you have to say about the Amy movie, I may want to skip it.
Thanks for the essay. 🙂
I was not a bohemian rhapsody hater before this video hit me. I am now going to be a Brian Singer hater as well
Well, I have a Paramount Plus account. Guess I'm watching Rocketman this weekend!
The thing that always gets me is that, if its a band i love, i cant tell if its good. I love What We Do is Secret. But i was already a life long Germs fan. So of course im gonna be happy with a Germs movie, especially one that the living members of the band put do much effort into.
A channel that Trojans rocketman man content? I HAVE FOUND MY CHANNEL. Before I saw this movie, I knew like 2 Elton John songs. It converted me. Because the songs are that good, and that well performed. Its a perfect storm of the right script coming together with the right directer, the right story, and the right actor, all making the best work of their career. It's just a blast for me all the way through. Yes i know its not perfect, but its a comfort film for me. Every time I watch it I notice something different. The last time I watched it I learnee new things about myself. The film's soundtrack is one of my prized possessions. It never gets old. Its always there to lift my spirits when i'n down. It has been singing in seconds. I became a better singer listening to Taron and studying his methods. Ok, gush over, i still haven't seen love and mercy. So as of now, rocketman is the best biopic i've ever seen.
I wish that my favorite biopic was Rocketman. However, i'm a weird girl, so, i'm going to say what is my favorite Biopic of all time. This being, the absolute masterpiece that is, Moonage Daydream, by Brett Morgen. And the subject? David Bowie.
Though it may not count as a Biopic in it's entirety, because it also falls under the category of a documentary, i will say it's a Biopic anyway, because it feels like one. This biopic, directed by Brett Morgen, is completely different than your usual Biopic. Instead of having a Cast, it uses Archive Material and never before footage from the family of Bowie. Instead of using a common narrative, like a narrator or interviews, or a cast, it uses only interviews and tapes of Bowie. And instead of being an usual movie, it's a sensorial experience following the life and art of David Bowie, in a disorganized way, following him from his begginings in music to the end of his life. It is an awe inspired film, and an incredible experience that i recommend everyone to see, and experience.
god i hope moonage daydream will forever hide stardust away.
Ground Zero for the Modern Day Biopic, was 2003 "Ray" with Jamie Foxxx.
i think this trend shows the wasted potential and dehumanization of the subjects of these works. the worst ones are a way to pick the flesh off the corpses while simultaneously appearing as a respectful tribute. i love learning about the lives of people who greatly influenced my music tastes, but i hate the feeling that money was the priority, and manipulating my admiration was the transaction.
So I just speed runned all of your bio pics vides in order, and YO that was quite the build up in intensity sheesh
I hadnt realised those allegations were THAT serius in the original BR video!!
ROCKETMAN IS SO GOOD RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Side note my favorite biopic is La Bamba it's very good :3
I came across this video earlier this week, watched about half, paused it, and am just now getting back to. I finally sat down to watch Rocketman today and it was a wonderful experience and it totally wouldn't have happened without this video. Gonna watch the rest of the video now lmao
Frank Sidebottom Captain Beefheart mashup with Fassbender is technically the best music biopic because it is not and it doesnt give a damn.
1:42 damn straight it's funny every time
I would love to see you talk about The Greatest Showman because that is like a biopic that isn't a biopic about PT Barnum. I love musicals and Hugh Jackman, but boy, does this movie give me the ick.
wow 44:22 this was a great take on how narratives and propaganda or even editing of the truth is embedded into the general audience. I've been looking into/researching another British artist with south Asian roots... Zayn Malik and the way the music industry/media and his own 1D boyband bandmates narratives including harry styles calling him "unprofessional" on the Howard stern show, for leaving the band for his mental health and creative freedom... haver created this villain narrative. Zayn wasn't dead like Freddie Mercury, but he was blacklisted in music industry and so had no voice or say on how he was being mis-represented or portrayed- he was used as the whipping boy and scapegoat (especially as he was the only PoC member and easily racially stereotyped) to contrast to other members and elevate them and make them look good.
I find the biopics of People of color particularly egregious...it's like there is so much reverence towards the white artist and their music but when it comes to Whitney Housten, Tupac its low budget, lack of care or artistic merit, cash grab and lack of good script or even respect...usually its focused-on scandal and reducing the artist to one mistake, drug addiction etc etc
We live in a timeline where bohemian rhapsody did so wrong and got so loved...
It hurts me, I still dream about a 2 part Queen BioFilm, better songs used OTHER THAN GREATEST HITS. I really wanted to hear get down make love or body language in some parts, I wanted an animated representation when Queen 1-2 was being planned, the futuristic-classic universe being made, the black queen being a pre-bohemian rhapsody. Sheer heart attack and news of the world being the 2 takes on art. How all members were well versed on culture and how that process created such an amazing music I love.
How the first movie ended in a big note being the end of the 70s era
And how the 2nd film was the dark ages of the 80s, how by trying to make hits ratter than art made so many Meh songs, how every member made it's own solo career parallel to Queen, Michael Jackson and Freddie inspired/fight each other. His takes on Opera, how it is controversial to mix those genres and that Barcelona rocked.
How the lasts albums were made
The Spain inspirations on innuendo
How art was about to resurrect on Queen just by the time Freddie died...
But all we got... was this.
Kinda sad ngl. I love Queen. And all I wanted was to make people who don't know about them to listen to them. Maybe in another timeline
I had no idea about mr.pedo being the director, and I'm angry and sad about it, and it ruined BR for me forever. I'm so sorry! This is an outrage
This genre is MCU levels
You make alot of great points in this video. While do like some biopics that was in this video like Bohemian Rhapsody and Elvis, you make some good critiques on them. And I'm really looking forward to the Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael'.😁😊
I sure hope Mendes does a good biopic on the Beatles. Every previous attempt never got Lennon right.
The one that really got down the dynamic of John and Paul was Two Of Us. It wasn't some grand retelling of their lives; it took place on a single night. It was directed by the same man who directed the original Let It Be film and Paul himself praised it! It is so painfully underrated.
Sure, the actors don't really look like who they're meant to be, but you forget all about that because they embody Lennon and McCartney *perfectly.*
I absolutely adore Rocketman. I mean, it helps that I'm a massive Taron Egerton fan too, but it's just a fantastic movie anyways. Also, I fully believe that Bohemian Rhapsody fucked over Rocketman's chances at the Oscars. I truly believe Rocketman would have gotten more nominations if Bohemian Rhapsody hadn't gotten so many the year before. The fact Egerton didn't get a best actor nod was the biggest snub for this movie
Do I love Walk Hard? Guilty As Charged! Congrats on 100 days. x
I really like what you gotta say! I haven't seen many of the recent biopics, i do really want to watch Love & Mercy, I kind of want to listen to more Elton John before i watch Rocketman. I was so surprised by Weird, I'm really picky with comedy and i thought it was perfect. It actually gave me a huge amount of respect for Weird Al, i never liked his music but after watching the movie i definitely understand it much better. I didn't know Elton John struggled with bulimia, as a recovering alcoholic i value when people open up about their mental health struggles
Until this video, I had no idea that Weird Al had a biopic 😅
I think also a lot of biopics are being made because a lot of these artist music catalogue have been sold off. Now the corporations and entities that have bought these music catalogues want to make some millions off their purchase.
Some are monopolizing /amalgamating many...For example:
"Cher sells her share of past sound recordings and compositions to Irving Azoff's Iconic Artists Group."
The Beach Boys in 2021 "announced that Iconic Artists Group, run by music exec Irving Azoff, has purchased a controlling interest in their intellectual property"
Also, in 2021 "Bruce Springsteen has sold the master recordings and publishing rights for his life's work to Sony"
In 2020 "Bob Dylan, who sold his songwriting catalog to Universal Music Publishing Group."
An online article by Alan Cross, published on 23 August 2024 on website A Journal of Musical Things "Here’s a running list of artists who have sold some or all of their song catalogues to a new breed of company. (Updated as required)" is good resource.
No no no, you're wrong about the cancer.
They wouldn't use free will for that, they'd say that it's part of the trials and tribulations each person must go through to earn heaven
I really love the lil extra comments in the description hehe
The only thing I can praise Bohemian Rhapsody for is getting many of my classmates into Queen (and lead one of them to read an actual biography, wow!) since our teacher showed it to us in class.
Great video! And I also love Rocket Man!
They really demonized the manager/lover in Rocket man. He was younger than elton john, but they presented him as an older creep.