Badfinger
 | SpecDirected by Gary J. Katz Starring: Tom Evans, Mike Gibbins, Pete Ham, Joey Molland Geneon [Pioneer], 1996, DVD Customer Rating: 33 reviews Recommend |
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The tragically brief career of '70s British pop group Badfinger is a story of a chaotic band in need of structure. As a rockumentary, Badfinger is an equally unfocused affair desperately in need of historical context and, worse, a narrator. For a few years in the early '70s, Badfinger rose from the shadow of the Beatles and emerged as pioneers of infectious power pop. Bridging the gap between the British invasion and American indie pop bands like Big Star, Badfinger crafted beautifully melodic tunes like "Day After Day," "No Matter What," and "Come and Get It" (penned by Paul McCartney).
While director Gary Katz obviously has affection for the band's contributions to rock history, he unfortunately hasn't a clue as to how to present them. Instead, we get a jumbled mix of interviews with the band's two surviving members, Joey Molland and Mike Gibbins, not to mention Molland's wife, cut together with far too many lip-synched "live" performances. While the footage gives intimate looks at the band, Katz really needs narration to explain just why we should even bother watching the film.
Badfinger is known as much for the tragedy that hit the band — their crooked manager emptied their band account and disappeared, causing two members to commit suicide later on. However, by the time Katz gets there, the story is so underdeveloped that it feels like an afterthought. After viewing this, you can't help but think that the band deserved better. — Dave McCoy
Title: Badfinger (Spec)
Sales Rank: 78683 in DVD
Actor: Tom Evans, Mike Gibbins, Pete Ham, Joey Molland
Director: Gary J. Katz
Studio: Geneon [Pioneer], 1997-12-17, Theatrical Release: 1996-01-01
Format: AC-3, Color, DVD, Special Edition, NTSC, Acpect Ratio 1.33:1
Languages: English (Original Language)
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region Code: 1
Running Time: 84 minutes
Package Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.42 x 0.58 inches, 0.18 pounds
- sloppy and doesn't tell the essential story
- Read the book on Badfinger - Without You: The Tragic Story Of Badfinger. This is a poor production. More reviews
- must see
- Every musician needs to know this story. It's not a perfect look at Badfinger, but there is enough here to open many eyes. Listen very closely to what Mike and Joey have to say. More reviews
- An overlooked gem
- There is so little available about this band, especially video. I was very fortunate to find a least this VHS copy to remind me of the remarkable music that these guys were responsible for. They have seemed to disappear from the radio, outside of hearing "Come and Get it" once in a blue moon. This video is already out of print as is the one great… More reviews
- The Saddest Story in Rock's Rich History
- I love Badfinger. Earlier this year I attended an event called "Hippiefest" which featured a bunch of nostalgia acts from the '60s and '70s. Among the featured performers was Joey Molland. His set featured "No Matter What," "Come And Get It," "Day After Day," and "Baby Blue." Of course, Joey Molland is the last living member of Badfinger,… More reviews
- Jan Wilson Sure miss these guys
- An absolute rush to be able to see these guys preforming live again albeit one or two songs are lip synced. If there were more songs played, I would have rated this DVD a five. The interviews with the the surviving members of badfinger were informative, but a little drawn out. Lets hope a major movie will be made about this extremly… More reviews
