This is a recent movie as it says filmed in Manchester.. anyone has it ? , well, I was able to obtain this info from clubflyers.com..

Not another documentary about rave culture...Thankfully, 24 Hour Party People is not another documentary at all, but a full feature film based on a true story, sensationalized with fiction, fact, and some seriously entertaining acting. It tells the story of the birth of the punk and acid house scene in Manchester with an eye for detail and a ear for the music that made it all happen.

The first part of the film was interesting, with its opening shots of the narrator Tony Wilson hang gliding and crashing repeatedly into the country side, dingy bandhalls with grungy bands (the Sex Pistols) playing some strange new music (punk) and a startup indie record label, it didn't have anything to do with my field of expertise. Or so I thought. Surprize, surprize, it turns out this was the birth of the acid house scene in the UK!

Not a slick Hollywood made-for-an-MTV attention-span film, its randomness relates well to the disorganization of the people and the events that make up the scenes. Tony Wilson dominates as the lead and narrator, and his drug taking, arrogant, unfaithful but self rightous persona is far from likeable. Which is not a bad thing. But even his comedic comments can't keep the film rolling along like it should, as it slips into cliches of man with a vision who sucumbs to drugs and failure (though with a beauty queen on his arm) and of a spectacular club eventually filling up with drugs and shootouts being shut down. The weakness of the storytelling is balanced by solid acting from all involved, and some pretty fantastic late 70s to early 90s music. Comparing this film to other fictional works based on or in club and rave culture, 24 Hour Party People does a far better job at capturing the essence of the era and entertaining us in the telling.

If you're going to see this film, it makes it a lot more interesting to know just how famous the Hacienda is - as the birthplace of acid house, ecstacy-fueled clubbing and the DJ replacing bands as entertainment. Also that the actual Hacienda was torn down, but they rebuilt it as closely as possible in a similar warehouse just to shoot this film. Other neat tricks include cutting in actual footage of the punk bands with the fictional sets. There are mounds of nitty gritty details of the Hacienda reconstruction and lots more - like interview with the actors and film makers - on the film's website too.

Movie Brief: "24 Hour Party People is a great mockumentary on the music scene in Manchester England. The film starts off in 1974 and leads up to the present. By the title you'd assume it's another techno flick but no, it features great bands like Joy Division, New Order, the Happy Mondays, Sex Pistols and one of my absolute fav's Siouxie and the Banshees. The film is narrarated by Tony Wilson (played by Steve Coogan - one of Britians top comedians) the man that brought punk to the airwaves and the clubs when no one else would. Tony Wilson not only brought the bands in but also the man behind Factory Records and the Hacienda. which for us New Yorkers you could say he's the Gatien behind Limelight in it's hayday. Thou the film is not just about punk, it does show you how scene's change and how things moved into the dance culture and the rise of drugs in clubs. If you listen to new wave and punk then you'll love this flick. it's a bit of a comedy as well too, you know that brit humor. So it keeps you on your toes."

24 Hour Party People is out on video and DVD August 21, 2002.




Opinions, and if you have it, and sharing, plz let me know ! thx !

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